United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I just found this forum today. It's a great resource! I was hit by a car 4.5 months ago while riding my bike. Since then I've had numbness and weakness in my right arm. I haven't yet officialy been diagnosed with bpi by a doctor who has seen me, but a neurosurgeon who has seen my EMG results taken at 2 and 6 weeks after my accident has said he thinks it is bpi. But, it seems to have only affected my bicep muscle. All other muscles in my right arm seem fine. In fact, the other muscles like the brachial and tricep have gotten stronger, and I feel like my arm has 70% of its original strength. Does anyone have any experience with a bpi where it only has affected the bicep? I went back several months looking for description of bpi's just affecting the bicep, but couldn't find any. I'm still hoping that the nerve will regenerate without need for surgery. But, I will probably go see a bpi specialist soon. I would appreciate any help!

Ray, it is possible for just one nerve to have been damaged - it's isn't something I've heard of a lot, but one thing you do discover is that all injuries are completely individual and no two accidents will produce the same nerve damage in people.
Where do you live?

Ray have looked at by a bpi surgen as soon as you can. I never herd of just the bicep being efected. Paul

Tell the doctors to look for an entrapped nerve. I read about this and it produces symptoms similar to a bpi but only affects one to two nerves, the muscles predominately affected are the deltoid and/or bicep. If not corrected the nerve(s) entrapped will 'die' and the damage permanant. There are many causes of this happening so get someone to check.

I may have had this and doctors did not know to look for it. So now I have no bicep or deltoid. Paul

My daughter has a BPI injury from birth. The only mucscles that didn't come back on there own were the bicep (no movement) and deltoid was very weak. So it is possible for only one nerve to be affected. You can always call Texas Children's Hospital and ask them. They also do work on adults.

Lisa

I have lost the function of my deltoid and bicep as well. The latest specialist was about to tell me that my C7 nerve root was pulled from my spine--but I have function in my tricep-so that blew him away. I am scheduled for more MRI's to continue the diagnosis. I haven't heard of entrapped nerves-thanks I will research that now.

Thanks for the great info. everyone. I will defintely look at the trapped nerve possibility. I just remembered that the doc who performed the EMG's on me told me that he wasn't seeing any response from the deltoid muscle either (it's strange--I don't notice the deltoid not working nearly as much as I do the bicep). Perhaps there is one nerve that supplies both bicep and deltoid?
I live in Virginia and have gotten a referrel to see Dr. Belzberg at Hopkins.

Thanks for the great info. everyone. I will defintely look at the trapped nerve possibility. I just remembered that the doc who performed the EMG's on me told me that he wasn't seeing any response from the deltoid muscle either (it's strange--I don't notice the deltoid not working nearly as much as I do the bicep). Perhaps there is one nerve that supplies both bicep and deltoid?
I live in Virginia and have gotten a referrel to see Dr. Belzberg at Hopkins.

There's a chart on this page http://www.hscsyr.edu/cdb/grossanat/limbs2.shtml about which nerve lesions may cause which sensory and motor defecits, it's about halfway down. Remember all bpi injuries are different both in how they affect the arm and how they heal. Hope this helps!