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Characteristics and outcomes of obstetric brachial plexus palsy in a single Saudi center: an experience of ten years

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A Correction to this article was published on 02 June 2018

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Abstract

Background

Obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) is considered a rare, unpredictable, and unavoidable injury of the upper limb. In this study, we presented a retrospective cohort study over a period of ten years in King Faisal Specialists Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to assess the characteristics and functional outcomes of OBPP.

Methods

Between January 2005 and December 2015, we carried out 125 repairs of OBPP in KFSH&RC. Out of 71 girls and 54 boys, two babies died of unrelated causes, so they were excluded from the review. All medical records of the patients who attended OBPP clinic at KFSH&RC were reviewed, and relative data were extracted. Descriptive measures for categorical variables and categorical variables were presented. Student’s t test and Pearson’s χ2 test were used. The level of statistical significance was set at P ≤ 0.05.

Results

A total of 123 patients were included in the study with a mean follow-up of 6.1 ± 2.4 years. Of those, 71 (57.7%) were females. Mean age at presentation was 4.2 ± 2.7 months with a birth weight of 3965.9 ± 629.6 g. More than half of the patients (56.1%) sustained the injury in the right side, and 62 patients (50.4%) were classified as Narakas I. Most of the surgeries (96.7%) were nerve grafting. Only 32 (26.0%) patients needed one or more secondary interventions. In the last visit, the mean total score of Mallet was 16.6 ± 2.8. Also, passive external rotation in adduction improved to 38.3 ± 14.5. Last Raimondi hand function grade was 2 ± 1.

Discussion

Our experience demonstrated the value of primary and secondary surgeries in patients with OBPP. Also, we presented the patterns of injury in Saudi patients presented to KFSH&RC.

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Change history

  • 02 June 2018

    The published online version contain mistake in article title. The correct title is "Characteristics and outcomes of obstetric brachial plexus palsy in a single Saudi centre: an experience of ten years".

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Acknowledgements

We appreciatively recognize Ms. Samah S. Al-Harbi, senior physical therapist, for her assistance and cooperation in developing and improving the physical therapy programs of OPBB patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Omar A. Al-Mohrej, Asad F. Khesheaim & Nezar B. Hamdi

  2. Department of Plastic Surgery, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

    Nehal A. Mahabbat

Authors
  1. Omar A. Al-Mohrej
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  2. Nehal A. Mahabbat
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Correspondence to Nezar B. Hamdi.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The present study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at KFSH&RC, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

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The original version of this article was revised: The published online version contain mistake in article title.The correct presentation of the title is presented above.

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Al-Mohrej, O.A., Mahabbat, N.A., Khesheaim, A.F. et al. Characteristics and outcomes of obstetric brachial plexus palsy in a single Saudi center: an experience of ten years. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) 42, 2181–2188 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-018-3975-y

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