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Surgical Options for Brachial Plexus and Stroke Patients

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Comprehensive Management of the Upper-Limb Amputee

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Abstract

Trauma to the brachial plexus is a devastating injury to the individual. It renders the involved upper extremity partially or totally functionless and with impaired sensation. The recovery period may range from several months to several years, during which time the patient must learn to adapt and function with a disabled upper extremity. Additionally, one must tolerate a significant amount of pain associated with the plexus disruption or the phenomenon of reinnervation of the damaged plexus. Recovery is unpredictable, and the surgical approach to the brachial plexus injury has ranged historically from “do nothing, wait and see,” to a more aggressive approach involving accurate assessment of the degree of injury and early surgical intervention in selected cases.5,8,15 The surgical approach encompasses reconstruction of major vessel disruption, the brachial plexus, reconstructive orthopedic procedures that include bony and/or musculotendinous procedures, and, in some cases, ablative amputation surgery and prosthetic fitting.4

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Authors
  1. James B. Bennett
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  2. Gary M. Gartsman
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Amputee Center, Department of Rehabilitation, Baylor College of Medicine The Institute for Rehabilitation and Research, Houston, TX, 77030, USA

    Diane J. Atkins OTR (Coordinator, Instructor) (Coordinator, Instructor)

  2. Amputee Center of America, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, 80262, USA

    Robert H. Meier III MD (Director, Chairman) (Director, Chairman)

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© 1989 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Bennett, J.B., Gartsman, G.M. (1989). Surgical Options for Brachial Plexus and Stroke Patients. In: Atkins, D.J., Meier, R.H. (eds) Comprehensive Management of the Upper-Limb Amputee. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3530-9_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-3530-9_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8143-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-3530-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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