Confused??Do you guys have bicep function or tricep or both

[ptrefam]

I think it depends on which nerves are affected. Dustin is TBPI but he does not have bicep. Tricep came back. He never lost hand it was just weak and uncoordinated, so has full function there. He was stretched from c4-c7, most areas have improved but he cannot do most motions with bicep and shoulder against gravity, just in a pool or laying on his side.
They have suggested moving the tricep to the bicep so he can bend up in gravity, since you don't have tricep do you have any insight on how this might be? He needs to decide between that and the gracillis where he wouldn't lose tricep. Does it affect many things that you do not to have a tricep?
Thanks, Sue

[jep98056]

Cristina:

I have limited bicep and tricep function but can't raise my hand much above my head. I have good hand/finger function.

John P.
(ROBPI for 67 years)

[cristina]

Funny you say they suggested moving thr tricep to the bicep. The doctor I went to see told me they can take my gracillis muscle from my inner thigh and my nerve from my rib cage and connect them to my tricep area.

So I'm thinking they would do the same for Dustin except they would put it on his bicep.

Not having a tricep does not allow me to extend my arm and it affects me in the way that I can't reach out for things such as the sterring wheel without being on top of it. I want to have a tricep so I can extend my arm and make it look "more normal" and so that I can exercise normally.

Cristina 27 RBPI

[stanleyars]

I have good bicep movement but not tricep. I am like you in the sense that I can bend my arm to my mouth. I can also use my affected arm to reach to scratch my back around my neck area, but nowhere else. I also can supinate my arm greater than 50 percent. I also have good grip and finger movement. I can also shrug my shoulders and rotate them. However I can not lift my hand higher than my head and when my arm is down I can only move my arm about 4-6 inches past my side toward my back. My movement with hands and fingers are slower than my unaffected arm.

A BPI injury is the same for everyone. The same nerve bundle for all of us is affected. What varies is the point where the injury occurred in comparison to the spine, and the degree of injury. These differences are what cause the variation in affects each one of faces.
The name of BPI injury is more of a classification for a type of injury that occurs affecting the Brachial Plexus bundle of nerves. And I say how dare the doctor to compare your affect of your injury to the rest of us.

Hang in there! A BPI specialist is your best bet for determining treatment for you! They see more cases of BPI injured people and it is their specialty. There for I would trust their opinion more than an orthopedists.

-Amanda

-Amanda

[Mare]

I would get another opinion my son Frankie 14 has the same function you described but can't get behind his back. Also he has a contracture of the elbow which we are looking to correct and his palm face up. Frankie had the Mod Quad with Dr Nath in Nov 2006 still can't raise his arm unless he is laying down or go out to the side. Dr Nath said he may never be able to raise the arm past 90% and will take a long time and alot of therapy to get there. There are alot of other things he is getting from the surgey but his Bicep is still a problem because it is so strong and takes over when he tries to move other muscles. Mare

[marieke]

I have bicep, but not much external rotation so can't really get my hand to mouth. I have tricep too, but it's weak compared to the 'ggod" side. Strange that you doc wopuld say that to you... Depnds on which nerve was damaged and to what degree, but it's all BPI!
Marieke (31, LOBPI)

[Beckyerin]

A BPI specilaist I have seen said that most of his OBPI patients have lack or limited supination(turning palm up)and are usually in the pronated position(palm down)

However I don't fit that mold. I have full supination and cannot turn my palm down. I also have really good bicep function.

Maybe your doc is right in that there are common characteristics but but a brachial plexus birth injury is individual to each person as far as what function they get from their arm
Becky

[Carrie]

I'd get another opinion, it seems weird that this doctor would generalize with "most" or "all" because there is huge variation in injuries. Just looking around at camp, I saw a lot of difference both in function and in looks. I think also, that with the injury happening so early on in our lives, individual development varies greatly from person to person. I don't think there is a standard or "normal" BPI. It's not like the flu or even a broken arm where there are classic symptoms of the condition. They are all really different. It makes me nervous when I hear stuff like this because I think it might be part of the murkiness by the medical profession about this injury and its origins.
Carrie
25 / OBPI

[jep98056]

Sue is correct when she says that it depends which nerves are affected. Remember that the brachial plexus is formed in 3 main trunks: the upper trunk from C5 and C8 (deltoid, bicep), the middle trunk from C7 (tricep, wrist), and the lower trunk from C8 and T1 (hand). (I hope I have that right) Anyway, a brachial plexus injury can involve only one, a combination, or all 3 of the main trunks plus nerve branches from them affecting different muscle groups with differing degrees of injury. Hence, every injury is different in some respects.

John P.
(ROBPI for 67 years)

[hope16_05]

Cristina,
It does seem that most people cant supinate (turn palm up) but like you, thats not the case for me. I have a very strong biceps muscle but not much for triceps. Hand has taken three surgeries and a lot of therapy to get but it at least has grasp and release now, I can also write with my right hand but choose not to because its very challenging and time consuming.

I think its the typical Erb's Palsy that has the lack of biceps function, that would be those with the "waiters tip" position. Those also seem to be the population who can not supinate.

I am able to supinate a fair amount but am unable to pronate past neutral. Also like you, i can not extend very well so I cant grab my steering whhel with my right hand very easily. With therapy its getting better but not "normal". It seems like we have a pretty similar injury, if you would like to read more about what I have had as far as treatment I have a website that I update about once a month its www.freewebs.com/bpimn

What I would suggest to you if you watn suggestons would be to start seeing a hand therapist (usually an OTR/CHT) and start working on strengthening your hand. If you can get a very strong squeeze then they might be able to do a tendon transfer to make your fingers extend. It takes years of therapy and lots of splints but is so worth it!
Good luck!
Amy 20 years old ROBPI (right obstretical bpi)
feel free to ask me any questions you may have on here or email me any time hope16@hotmail.com just put something I would recognize in the title.