Summary
Brachial plexus avulsion injury is one of the major complications after traffic, especially motorcycle accidents and machine injuries. Intractable pain and paralysis of the affected limbs are the major neurological deficits. During the past 18 years, we have encountered and treated more than 500 cases with brachial plexus avulsion injuries. Dorsal root entry zone lesions (DREZ) made by thermocoagulation were performed for intractable pain in 60 cases. Forty cases were under regular follow-up for 5–18 years. In early postoperative stage, the pain relief rate was excellent or good in 32 cases (80%). The pain relief rate dropped to 60% in 5 year follow-up period and only 9 cases (50%) had excellent or good result in 10 year follow-up. Reconstructive procedures were performed in almost all patients in the last 10 years. Dorsal root entry zone lesion is an effective procedure for pain control after brachial plexus avulsion injuries.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Alon M, Rochkind S (2002) Pre-, intra, and postoperative electrophysiologic analysis of the recovery of old injuries of the peripheral nerve and brachial plexus after microsurgical management. J Reconstr Microsurg 18: 77–82
Carvalho GA, Nikkhah G, Samii M (1997) Pain management after post-traumatic brachial plexus lesions, conservative and surgical therapy possibilities. Orthopode 26(7): 621–625
Chen HJ (1992) Dorsal root entry zone lesions in the treatment of pain following brachial plexus avulsion and herpes zoster. J Formos Med Assoc 91: 508–512
Chen HJ, Lu k, Yeh MC (2003) Combined dorsal root entry zone lesions and neural reconstruction for early rehabilitation of brachial plexus avulsion injury. Acta Neurochir [Suppl] 87: 95–97
Chuang DC (1995) Neurotization procedures for brachial plexus injuries. Hand Clin 11(4): 633–645
Ishijima B, Shimoji K, Simizu H (1988) Lesions of spinal and trigeminal dorsal root entry zone for deafferentation pain: experience of 35 cases. Apply Neurophysiol 51: 175–187
Mertens P, Sindou M (2000) Surgery in the dorsal root entry zone for treatment of chronic pain. Neurochirurgie 46: 429–446
Nashold BS Jr (1988) Neurosurgical technique of the dorsal root entry zone operation. Apply Neurophysiol 51: 136–145
Samii M, Bear-Henney S, Ludemann W, Tatagiba M, Blomer U (2001) Treatment of refractory pain after brachial plexus avulsion with dorsal root entry zone lesion. Neurosurgery 48: 1269–1275
Sindou M (1995) Microsurgical DREZotomy for pain, spasticity and hyperactive bladder: a 20-year experience. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 137: 1–5
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2006 Springer-Verlag
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Chen, H.J., Tu, Y.K. (2006). Long term follow-up results of dorsal root entry zone lesions for intractable pain after brachial plexus avulsion injuries. In: Chang, J.W., Katayama, Y., Yamamoto, T. (eds) Advances in Functional and Reparative Neurosurgery. Acta Neurochirurgica Supplementum, vol 99. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-35205-2_14
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-211-35205-2_14
Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna
Print ISBN: 978-3-211-35204-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-211-35205-2
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)