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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Indian J Radiol Imaging 2023; 33(01): 053-064
DOI: 10.1055/s-0042-1759642
Original Article

A Decade of Imaging Patients with Traumatic Brachial Plexopathy: What have We Learned?

Vaishali Upadhyaya
1   Department of Radiology, Vivekanada Polyclinic and Institute of Medical Sciences, Ramkrishna Mission Sewashram, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
,
Divya Narain Upadhyaya 
2   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
,
Abhijat Mishra
2   Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Abstract

Aim In this paper, the authors share their experience of imaging patients with traumatic brachial plexopathy by magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) spanning over a period of nearly 10 years.

Setting and Design This was a single-institution, prospective, observational study conducted between August 2012 and March 2022.

Materials and Methods Children and adults presenting to the plastic surgery outpatient department with features of traumatic brachial plexopathy were included in the study. The MRN study was performed in a 1.5T scanner (Magnetom Essenza, Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). The area scanned extended from C3 level to T3 level.

Statistical Analysis Descriptive statistics (percentages, mean, median, and mode).

Results A total of 134 patients (n = 134) were included in the study. The age of our patients ranged from 6 months to 65 years. The mean age was 24.95 ± 12.10 years, with a median of 23 years. All patients had unilateral injury, and the right side was more commonly involved. Road traffic accident was the most common mode of injury, and blunt crush-avulsion was the most common mechanism of injury. Involvement of shoulder, elbow, and hand together (panplexopathy) was the most common clinical presentation.

Conclusion This study of patients with traumatic brachial plexopathy imaged by MRN, spanning nearly a decade, has led to several interesting observations. The majority of these injuries occur in young men from urban areas who usually present with panplexopathy. The most common mode of injury is road traffic accident, and blunt crush-avulsion is the most common mechanism of injury.

Keywords

brachial plexus - injuries - magnetic resonance imaging - magnetic resonance neurography - neurography


Publication History

Article published online:
26 December 2022

© 2022. Indian Radiological Association. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

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