Background: The nationwide incidence of neonatal brachial plexus palsy in the United States is unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of this condition in the United States and to identify potential risk factors for neonatal brachial plexus palsy.

Methods: Data from the 1997, 2000, and 2003 Kids' Inpatient Database data sets were utilized for this study. Patients were identified with use of the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9), code 767.6 for neonatal brachial plexus palsy. Previously reported risk factors for this condition, including shoulder dystocia, instrumented delivery, breech delivery, an exceptionally large baby (>4.5 kg), heavy infant weight for gestational dates, multiple birth mates, and cesarean delivery, were also identified with use of ICD-9 codes. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was utilized to assess the association of neonatal brachial plexus palsy with its risk factors, after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, such as gender, race, and payer status; hospital-based characteristics, such as number of hospital beds, hospital location, region, type, and teaching status; and the effect of time.

Results: Over eleven million births were recorded in the database, and 17,334 had a documented brachial plexus injury in the total of three years, yielding a nationwide mean and standard error of incidence of neonatal brachial plexus palsy in the United States of at least 1.51 ± 0.02 cases per 1000 live births. The incidence of this condition has shown a significant decrease over the years (p 4.5 kg) had a fourteen times greater risk, and forceps delivery had a nine times greater risk for injury. Having a twin or multiple birth mates and delivery by cesarean section had a protective effect against the occurrence of neonatal brachial plexus palsy. Forty-six percent of all children with neonatal brachial plexus palsy had one or more known risk factors, and fifty-four percent had no known risk factors.

Conclusions: This nationwide study of neonatal brachial plexus palsy in the United States demonstrates a decreasing incidence over time. Shoulder dystocia poses the greatest risk for brachial plexus injury, and having a twin or multiple birth mates and delivery by cesarean section are associated with a protective effect against injury. Most children with neonatal brachial plexus palsy did not have known risk factors.

Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level II. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

The epidemiology of neonatal brachial plexus palsy in the United States.

Background:While posterior glenohumeral instability is becoming increasingly common among young athletes, little is known of the risk factors for injury.Purpose:To determine the modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors for posterior shoulder instability in a high-risk cohort.Study Design:Case-control study (prognosis); Level of evidence, 2.Methods:A prospective cohort study in which 714 young athletes were followed from June 2006 through May 2010 was conducted. Baseline testing included a subjective history of instability, instability testing by a sports medicine fellowship–trained orthopaedic surgeon, range of motion, strength measurement with a handheld dynamometer, and bilateral noncontrast magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder. A musculoskeletal radiologist measured glenoid version, height, depth, rotator interval (RI) height, RI width, RI area, and RI index. Participants were followed to document all acute posterior shoulder instability events during the 4-year follow-up period. The time to the...

Risk Factors for Posterior Shoulder Instability in Young Athletes

BACKGROUND The epidemiology of brachial plexus birth palsy (BPBP) in the United States may be changing over time due to population-level changes in obstetric care. METHODS The Kids' Inpatient Database from 1997 to 2012 was analyzed. Annual estimates of BPBP incidence and disease determinant distribution were calculated for the general population and the study population with BPBP. Long-term trends were analyzed. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to quantify the risk associated with each determinant. RESULTS The database yielded a combined total of 5,564,628 sample births extrapolated to 23,385,597 population births. The population incidence of BPBP dropped 47.1% over the 16-year study period, from 1.7 to 0.9 cases per 1000 live births (P<0.001). Female, black, and Hispanic subgroups had moderately increased risks of BPBP. Among children with BPBP, 55.0% had no identifiable risk factor. Shoulder dystocia was the strongest risk factor for BPBP in the regression model [odds ratio (OR), 113.2; P<0.001], although the risk of sustaining a BPBP in the setting of shoulder dystocia decreased from 10.7% in 1997 to 8.3% in 2012 (P=0.006). Birth hypoxia was independently associated with BPBP (OR, 3.1; P<0.001). Cesarean delivery (OR, 0.16; P<0.001) and multiple gestation birth (OR, 0.45; P<0.001) were associated with lower incidence of BPBP. Notably, the rate of cesarean delivery increased by 62.8% during the study period, from 20.9% in 1997 to 34.0% in 2012 (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Over a 16-year period, the incidence of BPBP fell dramatically, paralleled by a significant increase in the rate of cesarean delivery. Systemic changes in obstetric practice may have contributed to these trends. As more than half of BPBP cases have no identifiable risk factor, prospective investigation of established risk factors and characterization of new disease determinants are needed to more reliably identify infants at greatest risk. Racial and geographic inequalities in disease burden should be investigated to identify interventional targets. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III-case series.

The Epidemiology of Brachial Plexus Birth Palsy in the United States: Declining Incidence and Evolving Risk Factors

Purpose
There is no clear evidence in the actual literature regarding which of the surgical approaches could bring about the best functional, cosmetic, and radiological outcomes, as well as fewer complications, when an open reduction and pinning of a severely displaced supracondylar humerus fracture is performed. We, therefore, performed a systematic review of the English literature to investigate the existing evidence regarding this issue.

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Surgical approaches for open reduction and pinning in severely displaced supracondylar humerus fractures in children: a systematic review

Delivery after previous cesarean: long-term outcomes in the child.

Purpose
The spontaneous recovery rate of neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) is often cited as 75–95%. However, recent reports have found the recovery rate to be much lower. The purpose of this study was to perform an evidence-based review aimed at summarizing the available English language information regarding prognosis following NBPP based on the Narakas classification.

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Prognosis following neonatal brachial plexus palsy: an evidence-based review

Background: The aim of the study is to determine the accuracy of hand injections with and without the aid of ultrasound (U/S) into the carpal tunnel, thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint, first dorsal...

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The Accuracy of Common Hand Injections With and Without Ultrasound: An Anatomical Study.

BACKGROUND Progressive and disabling glenohumeral dysplasia commonly occurs as a secondary deformity in children with neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP). A number of methods for quantifying glenohumeral dysplasia are currently in use; however, the most commonly reported quantitative measures have yet to be validated. The present study assesses the intrarater and interrater reliability of the glenoid version angle (GVA) and percent of the humeral head anterior to the scapular line (PHHA) measurements on axial magnetic resonance images. METHODS Axial magnetic resonance images of the shoulder girdle of 25 children with NBPP were selected to represent a wide range of glenohumeral dysplasia severity. An axial image was preselected for each measurement. Six examiners (3 orthopaedic surgeons, 2 musculoskeletal radiologists, and an epidemiologist) digitally measured the GVA and PHHA on each image twice, with each measurement separated by 2 to 14 days and the order of image presentation placed in a different arrangement for each measurement set. Intrarater and interrater reliability was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Measurement errors for the GVA and PHHA measurements and the variances associated with the scapular and glenoid lines were calculated. RESULTS Using the Fleiss criteria, intrarater reliability was excellent, with ICCs averaging 0.909 (95% CI: 0.840, 0.940) for GVA and 0.891 (95% CI: 0.815, 0.921) for PHHA. Interrater reliability was excellent, with ICCs of 0.848 (95% CI: 0.788, 0.909) for GVA and 0.874 (95% CI: 0.815, 0.934) for PHHA. The GVA and PHHA measurement errors were ±6.4 degrees and ±7.2%, respectively. In a subset of 141 images measured, the between-image variance in the scapular line was greater than the glenoid line by a 1.61:1 ratio. CONCLUSIONS : The present study demonstrates excellent intrarater and interrater reliability of standard measurements of glenohumeral dysplasia in NBPP. The measurement errors for both measurements were comparable with other standard measures (e.g., Cobb angle). The scapular line exhibited a greater variance than the glenoid line, which identifies an opportunity for improvement in the GVA measurement. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Diagnostic study; level III.

The intrarater and interrater reliability of glenoid version and glenohumeral subluxation measurements in neonatal brachial plexus palsy.

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common peripheral nerve entrapment syndrome with an estimated prevalence of 1 % of the adult population in the USA [14, 16]. Symptoms occur bilaterally in 56–87 % of cases [2, 11, 15]. When conservative measures fail, surgical division of the transverse carpal ligament is indicated, making carpal tunnel release the most common procedure performed by upper extremity surgeons, with an estimated cost above 2 billion dollars per year in the USA alone [13].

Excellent results have been reported using both traditional open and newer endoscopic methods [3, 4, 6, 17]. Prior reports have described similar results with both staged and simultaneous surgical intervention regardless of the technique utilized [5, 18]. Fehringer et al. [5] retrospectively compared the cost effectiveness and outcome of simultaneous vs. staged bilateral single incision endoscopic carpal tunnel release and demonstrated a decrease in cost, quicker return to work, and no difference in satisfaction. Other studies have compared the results of both open and endoscopic techniques performed simultaneously in the same patient with no apparent advantage to the more costly endoscopic approach [6]. It remains unclear whether staged or simultaneous bilateral open carpal tunnel release is the more cost-effective alternative. The purpose of this study was to determine if simultaneous bilateral open carpal tunnel release is more cost effective than a staged procedure, with fewer days missed from work and similar patient satisfaction.

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Mohab B. Foad

Papers

Prognosis following neonatal brachial plexus palsy: an evidence-based review

The Accuracy of Common Hand Injections With and Without Ultrasound: An Anatomical Study.

The intrarater and interrater reliability of glenoid version and glenohumeral subluxation measurements in neonatal brachial plexus palsy.

A cost analysis of staged and simultaneous bilateral carpal tunnel release.