Brachial Plexus Injuries from Automobile Accidents

If you have been in a car accident recently, and you find that your fingers are numb or tingling, it may be because you have suffered a brachial plexus injury.

Any trauma to the nerves in the neck can cause a brachial plexus injury. These injuries are quite common and can result from car accidents.

A brachial plexus injury is an injury to the group of nerves connecting the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm, and hand. These injuries can be severe, and result in nerve damage, pain, weakness in the forearms and hands, lack of muscle control, and even complete paralysis in the affected region. Often times, car accident victims find themselves suffering from this injury.

While some brachial plexus injuries are minor and can heal without any medical treatment in a few weeks or months, there are other types of injuries that can be far more serious and require lengthy and expensive treatments including surgery and physical therapy. In some cases, nerve injuries can be so severe that they can lead to permanent disability.

Treatment options for serious brachial plexus injuries

In case of severe brachial plexus injuries, surgery may be the only effective treatment. Some of the treatment options available for severe brachial plexus injuries include:

Nerve transfer: When the nerve roots sever from the spine, the doctor may recommend a nerve transfer procedure. This involves transferring roots from one part of the body to the brachial plexus. These roosts are attached to the severed nerves and to the spine. This procedure is ideal for patients who have suffered a severe brachial plexus injury that has caused paralysis. It may take months or even years after a nerve graft for the patient to start noticing signs of recovery.

Muscle transfer: If the patient’s arm muscles begin to atrophy, the doctor may recommend a muscle transfer procedure. During the procedure, the doctor will recover the muscles and tendons from another part of the body, usually the thigh, and attach them to the arm. The surgeon will then connect the muscles to essential nerves and blood vessels. The surgeon may also create a skin flap in order to monitor the muscle during recovery.

Nerve graft: The procedure involves harvesting clusters of nerves from other body parts to replace the injured brachial plexus. The surgeon then connects the harvested nerves to the arm in order to restore sensation and function.