The axillary nerve palsy in the quadrilateral space is rare in the various regions of the shoulder joint. Although the commonest type of the axillary nerve palsy occurs following shoulder dislocation on humeral fracture, another from is seen after blunt trauma to the shoulder region without associated fracture or dislocation.
We treated operatively 8 patients with the axillary nerve palsy associated with the shoulder injuries. The average age was 37 years (range, 19 to 55). A case of them showed guadrilateral space syndrome reported by Bateman. Electromyographical findings showed fibrillation potentials and positive sharp wave in the deltoid muscle at rest in 2 patients and no motor unit potentials at voluntary contraction in all of them.
Neurolysis of the axillary nerve was carried out in all of them about 3 months after injuries. The recovery of the injured nerve very fast as shown by electromyographycal display. Good results were obtained in 6 patients. Restriction of the arm elevation remained in only 2 patients who were complicated with rotator cuff injury and frozen shoulder.
