UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Brachial Plexus Injuries in Sports Medicine

Category: Orthopedics

Keywords: Brachial plexus, stinger, burner (PubMed Search)

Posted: 5/28/2011 by Brian Corwell, MD
Click here to contact Brian Corwell, MD

Transient brachial plexopathies aka Burners and Stingers

Brachial plexus injuries are the most common peripheral nerve injuries seen in athletes.

49-65% of all college football players have experienced at least one burner with a 87% recurrence rate.

Injuries most commonly occur at C5-C6 but may involve any root level.

3 Mechanisms: Commonly due to

1) Traction caused by lateral flexion of the neck away from the involved side

2) Compression of the upper plexus between shoulder pads and scapula

3) Nerve compression caused by neck hyperextension and ipsilateral rotation.

CC: Burning or numbness in the neck, shoulder and/or arm

Symptoms are UNILATERAL and tend to usually last seconds to minutes

Symptoms are reproduced by the Spurling maneuver.

Function gradually returns from the proximal muscle groups to the distal muscle groups.

Because most burners are self-limited, the most important goal is to rule out an unstable cervical injury.