Damn Nuisance from Brachial Plexus Injury: An Uncommon Indication for Shoulder Disarticulation

Abstract

Pan-plexus injuries with persistent pain and flail upper limbs present a bifocal nuisance to patients and pose serious treatment challenges to orthopaedic surgeons. Limb salvage procedures could be cumbersome, expensive, and mostly with poor functional outcomes. The timing and extent of ablation are key predictors of outcome and will depend on the available local expertise and clinical evidence. We present a 42-year farmer who walked into the clinic requesting limb ablation. We also discuss our treatment outcome in light of the available Literature. Shoulder disarticulation with excision of a neuroma can effectively reduce pain from a painful flail limb and improve the quality of life.