Neuropathic pain in brachial plexus injury

Abstract

BACKGROUND: In Thailand, brachial plexus injury is a common traumatic injury that affects the function of the upper extremity. The current treatments focus mainly on improving the motor and sensory function. Apart from the motor and sensory deficit, these patients usually suffer from pain.OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors that relate to neuropathic pain in patients with brachial plexus injury.METHODS: We collected data from March 2008 to July 2011. The DN4 Questionnaire was used to diagnose neuropathic pain in 95 patients.RESULTS: The prevalence of neuropathic pain was as high as 76%. Majority of patients presented with hypoesthesia to pin prick, hypoesthesia to touch and numbness. Severity of neuropathic pain was significantly correlated with the type of brachial plexus injury. There was no difference between demographic characteristics of patients.CONCLUSION: Our study showed that the prevalence of neuropathic pain was high in brachial plexus injured patients. Therefore, surgeons should be aware of this common, yet underestimated, problem in brachial plexus injured patients.