Abstract
The shoulder joint is the most dislocated joint in the body, and its dislocation is frequently encountered in clinical practice. Shoulder dislocations sometimes associate peripheral nerve injuries, but brachial plexus injuries following shoulder dislocation are rare. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical results of brachial plexus injuries associated with shoulder dislocation. Four patients with brachial plexus injuries following shoulder dislocation visited our hospital from 2003 to 2006, including 2 males and 2 females of ages 40-72 years old, average 57.2 years old. Two cases were reduced within one hour, 1 case in 5 hours, the other in 24 hours. Level of injury, the period until recovery of the paralysis, and therapeutic process were investigated. All 4 cases were classified into complete type of brachial plexus injury, which showed total paralysis of the upper extremity. We treated all cases conservatively, and it took from 9 months to 1 year 3 months until recovery of paralysis. Paralysis of axillary nerve sent branches from the posterior cord is well known complication associated with traumatic shoulder dislocation. However nerve injuries occur at not only the posterior cord but also the total cord. All cases of brachial plexus injuries were treated conservatively and recovered almost completely.
