Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · May 2022
Two clinical tests assessing long thoracic nerve function to determine C5 and C6 root graft eligibility in patients with brachial plexus injury.
Identifying roots available for grafting is of paramount importance prior to reconstructing complex injuries involving the brachial plexus. This is traditionally achieved by combining input from both clinical examinations and imaging studies. In this paper, the authors describe and evaluate two new clinical tests to study long thoracic nerve function and, consequently, to predict the status of the C5 and C6 roots after global brachial plexus injuries. ⋯ Combining observations of the protraction tests with Tinel's sign and MRI findings accurately predicts C5 and C6 root graft eligibility.