Traumatic brachial plexus injury rehabilitation using neuromuscular electrical muscle stimulation in a polytrauma patient

Abstract

We report a 28-year-old man admitted postmotorcycle versus car in September 2017. The patient sustained multiple injuries in both the upper and lower limbs. He sustained a complex brachial plexus injury on his left side and was transferred immediately to Stanmore Hospital to undergo specialist surgery (supraclavicular brachial plexus exploration and neurolysis) to repair his brachial plexus injury. The patient was transferred back to the specialist trauma ward for additional surgeries for his subsequent injuries. Due to the complexity of the injury and surgery the patient was not able to start rehabilitation until six weeks post operation, at which point he was referred to outpatient physiotherapy. Prior to this his left upper limb was in a sling but was instructed to move it as able. The patient commenced his comprehensive physiotherapy programme in January 2018.