Early surgical exploration and epineural repair in birth brachial palsy.

The management of birth brachial palsy (Erb-Duchenne, Klumpke) has been traditionally conservative, and that is why the condition leaves some patients with impaired upper limb function for life. Development of anaesthesiology and microsurgical techniques have made safe early surgical repair of selected palsies possible. A 12 years' experience of early exploration of 11 patients aged from 2 weeks to 7 months is evaluated. The technique of direct epineural repair of ruptured roots has been successful in the early treatment of birth palsy. In the follow-up of 1 to 13 years after operation 7/11 patients regained good to excellent hand function.