EMG question about avulsion

Treatments, Rehabilitation, and Recovery
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expectingmom
Posts: 1
Joined: Sat Jun 14, 2003 2:10 pm

EMG question about avulsion

Post by expectingmom »

is EMG goog enough to diagnose an avulsion?
athos

Re: EMG question about avulsion

Post by athos »

The only reliable method of ascertaining exact damage is to explore surgically. That's what my doctor told me anyway.
PeggyF
Posts: 671
Joined: Sat Nov 10, 2001 10:14 am

Re: EMG question about avulsion

Post by PeggyF »

My daughter had/has an avulsion to C7 and we didn't know until she went into surgery; she had an EMG done several months before the surgery and it showed some conductivity with all nerves.
m&mmom
Posts: 1395
Joined: Sun Nov 04, 2001 9:34 am

Re: EMG question about avulsion

Post by m&mmom »

My son had an avulsion of C6. The emg showed that it was in bad shape but couldn't confirm an avulsion.

Cindy
Karen Hillyer
Posts: 562
Joined: Fri Sep 06, 2002 1:36 pm

Re: EMG question about avulsion

Post by Karen Hillyer »

At an international sympsosium I attended last year, most of the bpi specialists were commenting that other than surgery, the only other tool for diagnosing an avulsion was an MRI scan - that too was felt to only give a better indicator of an avulsion, but by no means an exact diagnosis.
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Christopher
Posts: 845
Joined: Wed Jun 18, 2003 10:09 pm
Injury Description, Date, extent, surgical intervention etc: Date of Injury: 12/15/02

Level of Injury:
-dominant side C5, C6, & C7 avulsed. C8 & T1 stretched & crushed

BPI Related Surgeries:
-2 Intercostal nerves grafted to Biceps muscle,
-Free-Gracilis muscle transfer to Biceps Region innervated with 2 Intercostal nerves grafts.
-2 Sural nerves harvested from both Calves for nerve grafting.
-Partial Ulnar nerve grafted to Long Triceps.
-Uninjured C7 Hemi-Contralateral cross-over to Deltoid muscle.
-Wrist flexor tendon transfer to middle, ring, & pinky finger extensors.

Surgical medical facility:
Brachial Plexus Clinic at The Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN
(all surgeries successful)

"Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
~Theodore Roosevelt
Location: Los Angeles, California USA

Re: EMG question about avulsion

Post by Christopher »

To my knowledge and experiance, all the doctors said that nothing is better than going in and checking it out, but I would highly recomend demanding a Mylogram with a PET scan, That is when a dye is injected into the base of the spinal canal, and then your body is tilted, while lying on a platform, to see where the dye leaks out. You are x-rayed and then scanned to determine exactly which roots are avulsed. My Mylogram proved pretty much perfectly which nerves where avulsed. Good luck, it was pretty painless and FINALLY gave a clearer picture of what my future surgeries and options where.

PS EMGs are good,but not clear enough, but can determine actual new nerve growth.

Dr. Sumner at LSU in New Orleans (who works with Dr. Kline) is regarded as one of the countries best at administering and reading EMGs, also a complete gentleman.

feel free to email me with any questions
Chris - cljanney@pacbell.net
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