The timing of congenital brachial plexus injury: A study of electromyography findings in the newborn piglet

OBJECTIVE: Permanent congenital brachial plexus palsy is a recognized serious complication associated with shoulder dystocia. The timing and etiology of this injury remains controversial. Previous authorities have used adult-derived, non-brachial plexus data to extrapolate the anticipated timing for electromyographic denervation changes to date such injuries in the newborn. With use of a domestic swine model, this investigation tests the hypothesis that electromyographic evidence of brachial plexus denervation in the newborn is temporally different than that in the adult. STUDY DESIGN: Five healthy 2-day-old and two adult pigs underwent unilateral sharp transection of the brachial plexus. Daily electromyographic studies were performed in brachial plexus innervated muscle groups on the involved and contralateral (control) front limbs. Postmortem measurements of the transected nerve segments were obtained in one piglet and one adult animal. Representative hard copy recordings of individual electromyographic studies were collected. RESULTS: Immediately after surgical transection of the brachial plexus, no electromyographic evidence of denervation was observed. Uniformly in the newborn piglets, at 24 hours after transection, denervation in the form of fibrillation potentials, positive sharp waves, and complex repetitive discharges was seen. Serial testing demonstrated proximal to distal gradients of denervation over the next 24 to 48 hours. A delay in electromyographic evidence of denervation was observed in the two adult pigs until days 5 and 8, respectively. Control limb studies remained normal throughout the study period. Nerve length measurements for individual muscle groups were as follows for the adult and newborn pigs, respectively: deltoid 11.4 cm, 2.5 cm; cleidobrachialis 16.0 cm, 4.0 cm; triceps 15.5 cm, 4.5 cm; forelimb flexors 26.0 cm, 6.5 cm; and extensor carpi radiails 31.0 cm, 9.0 cm. CONCLUSION: Electromyographic evidence of brachial plexus denervation after surgical transection differs between the newborn and the adult pig. Consistent with wallerian degeneration, a correlation exists between length of the distal nerve segment and timing for electromyographic signs of denervation. These findings suggest it would be inappropriate to extrapolate the anticipated timing for electromyographic changes in the newborn on the basis of previously established adult non-brachial plexus data.