The role of surgery in the management of closed injuries to the brachial plexus.

Complete brachial plexus lesions occur infrequently and have until recently been treated by amputation followed by fitting of a prosthesis. The results of such treatment are unsatisfactory. Recently, surgical repair of the plexus has been reintroduced; our experience with complete brachial plexus lesions treated by exploration and nerve grafts are as follows. Early surgical repair of the plexus does produce reasonable results, while late repair is unrewarding. The future of the management of brachial plexus lesions lies in early diagnosis and exploration of these lesions. In medical institutions with personnel interested in the problem of brachial plexus injury, further surgical research is bound to lead to new and improved treatment.