United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I tried to post this message before and it didn't seem to work. Hope I do it right this time! Our son, Will, was injured 3 days ago. He fell from the rock climbing wall in gym class at school. We think that his feet were knocked off their supports leaving his whole body weight on just his left arm. Following the incident, he has had pain up and down his arm, tingling and numbness in his fingers, and very little ability to move his arm or fingers on his own. After x-rays and an MRI, no fractures or soft tissue damage showed. Two orthopedic surgeons have told us that they believe he has sustained a tbpi. They have recommended that we "wait and see" for two weeks and re-evaluate at that time.

We have asked our pediatrician to give us a referral to a local nuero-surgeon for a second opinion because we are not comfortable with the "wait and see" approach. We have read on this site that many of you have sought out specialists in tbpi and that "time is of the essence!" I have two questions: Should we even bother seeing a local neuro-surgeon or should we be seeking the expertise right away from a tbpi specialist, even if it means traveling to do it? (We live in upstate New York near Binghamton) Secondly, when you say time is of the essence, what do you mean? The orthopedic surgeons are telling us that nerve testing can't be reliably done for three weeks after an injury (I guess due to swelling and inflamation). So does that mean that the wait and see approach isn't such a bad idea? We don't want to wait, and then have a specialist tell us that more could have been done if we had sought treatment sooner.

Thanks for any advice!
Sharon and Al

I am really sorry to hear about your son. I have also emailed you,
francine

Hi there, sorry to hear about your son's accident. It's good that the orthos have diagnosed him so quickly. I have read that the EMG is not reliable in the early stages as the nerves of the brachial plexus can continue to conduct even if avulsed from the spinal cord in a tbpi for quite some time. A bpi specialist (who might also be an orthopaedic specialist, many are) would be the best person to consult if you aren't happy to wait a couple of weeks. A tbpi is quite different from an obpi (bpi caused at birth) make sure your chosen specialist has plenty of experience with lesions of this kind. Please keep us informed of how your son gets on, and good luck :0)

Hello Sharon and Al
My son, who was 21 when he sustained the BPI, was told to wait for 6 weeks to allow for swelling and bruising to settle. It is a very anxious time for everyone. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Moira and Sean

Hi Sharon & Al,

I'm so sorry to hear about what has happened to your son. It must be a terrible worry for you, but it is excellent news that the Drs. have recognised his symptoms and diagnosed them so quickly. This is what is SO important; some people have had these injuries undiagnosed for months, or even years, which all the experts agree, may be too late for any help to aid recovery of function. Waiting for two weeks to see what happens is not unusual, particularly in a traction injury (in adults) but it certainly wouldn't do any harm to get a second opinion to put your mind at rest that everything possible is being done for your son. I will email you if that's O.K.
All the best...

Liz B

Many thanks to all who have replyed to our questions. E-mails are welcome. We are obviously very new to this problem and are trying to learn everything we can to help our son. He is doing well today. Not much pain and can move his thumb and pinky quite well. No other movement though. I know it takes time. Any and all comments, thoughts, and prayers are very much appreciated.
Sharon and Al