Birth Brachial Plexus Injury

What is birth brachial plexus injury?

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Birth brachial plexus injury can cause weak or paralyzed muscles in the hand, arm or shoulder. While the majority of infants recover from this condition, some have ongoing weakness. The Brachial Plexus Center offers both conservative (non-operative) and surgical treatment options for birth brachial plexus injury.

Why rely on Washington University experts to treat your child’s birth brachial plexus injury?

The Brachial Plexus Center at St. Louis Children’s Hospital was established in 1991 as a multidisciplinary resource for children with birth brachial plexus injury. The team in the Center has extensive experience with the management of this type of injury and has cared for more than 1,000 infants and children with this condition.

Our team includes pediatric neurosurgeons, neurologists, and orthopedic surgeons as well as occupational and physical therapists. For patients needing complex surgery, Washington University neurosurgeons have performed more than 200 brachial plexus repair or nerve transfer procedures for this condition.

Birth brachial plexus injury treatments

Treatments include:

  • Brachial plexus repair with nerve grafts
  • Nerve transfer procedures
  • Orthopedic treatment of shoulder and arm
  • Physical and occupational therapy