Brachial Plexopathy, Obstetric

Definition

Brachial plexopathy is any injury to the brachial plexus—the nerve bundles located on each side of the neck that give rise to the individual nerves controlling the muscles of the shoulders, arms, and hands.

Description

Brachial plexopathy occurs most often during birth, when an infant's neck and shoulders are stretched apart during passage through the birth canal. Injury to the brachial plexus is referred to by various names. Some names, such as obstetric Erb's palsy, refer to the specific region of the brachial plexus where the injury has occurred. Other more general names for the condition include:

  • obstetric brachial plexus
  • brachial plexus injury (BPI)
  • brachial plexus palsy (BPP)
  • brachial palsy in the neonate