objective considerable medical and legal debates have surrounded the prognosis and outcome of obstetrical brachial plexus injuries and obstetricians are often considered responsible for the injury. in this study, we assessed the factors related to the outcome of brachial plexus palsy. material & methods during 24 months, 21 neonates with obstetrical brachial plexus injuries were enrolled. elect...

The causes of brachial plexus palsy in neonates should be classified according to their most salient associated feature. The causes of brachial plexus palsy are obstetrical brachial plexus palsy, familial congenital brachial plexus palsy, maternal uterine malformation, congenital varicella syndrome, osteomyelitis involving the proximal head of the humerus or cervical vertebral bodies, exostosis...

We report 2 patients with obstetrical brachial plexus palsy, ipsilateral leg weakness, and contralateral motor cortical dysplasia. To our knowledge, this is the first description of such an association. In both cases, the diagnosis of obstetrical brachial plexus palsy was established clinically shortly after birth and later confirmed neurophysiologically. Motor cortex dysplasia was diagnosed by...

BACKGROUND The purposes of this study were to determine the prevalence of and the association between shoulder contracture and osseous deformity in a cohort of children with an obstetrical brachial plexus injury and to identify the risk factors for these complications. METHODS In a retrospective cohort study, all children with an obstetrical brachial plexus injury who had been born between Ja...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the proprioceptive sensory input in the shoulder joint affected by obstetrical brachial plexus injuries (OBPI). METHODS This controlled study included 39, 7-12-year-old children with upper and/or middle trunk OBPI, and it took place in the Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Science, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey between January 2008 ...

The existence of birth palsies of the upper limbs has been noted for a very long time. However, there have existed several misconceptions about the prognosis and eventual functional recovery. All forms of palsy noted at birth are termed “Erb’s palsy.” Most doctors feel that these injuries always recover spontaneously and such babies always “do well” in the long-term. Often, “physiotherapy” is t...

The incidence of obstetric brachial plexus injury (OBPI) was investigated and the natural course of this disorder and the frequency of shoulder contracture described. Between 1988 and 1997 13,366 children with a gestational age of 30 weeks or more, were born at the Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam. Of these, 62 had an OBPI (4.6 per 1000). Complete neurological recovery occurred in 72.6% of ca...

OBJECTIVE The perioperative period is a particularly dangerous time for babies with serious obstetrical brachial plexus injuries undergoing microsurgical reconstruction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the perioperative and early postoperative problems in these patients. METHODS Anesthetic management and pre and postoperative medical records were retrospectively reviewed for infants who...