Injuries to the peripheral nervous system remain an important area of pathology for the physician. It may be difficult to diagnose these lesions, and even more difficult to delineate fully their severity and type. Electromyography remains the singular procedure for diagnosing neurological injuries.
For example, delineation of brachial plexus injuries, both traumatic and nontraumatic, remains one of the most challenging diagnostic tasks for the sports medicine physician. Evaluation of the athlete requires not only a detailed h/p exam, but a comprehensive knowledge of brachial plexus anatomy and the potential mechanisms of injury it may suffer. Given the potential etiologic mechanisms of injury, as well as the varied anatomic sites vulnerable to such injury, it is essential that a precise diagnostic approach be utilized. From a neurophysiological perspective, the EMG exam has been shown to be the most powerful tool to evaluate brachial plexus injuries in all their complexity. Having said this, it still remains for the electrodiagnostician to make the definitive diagnosis as to the location and severity of the lesion. Whatever the etiology, anatomic profile, or mechanism of injury, analysis of brachial plexus injuries assumes a detailed knowledge of brachial plexus anatomy. (For more information regarding brachial plexus injuries and the EMG exam, read Dr. Zaneteas’s entire article here (7MB).)
For more information about how Electrodiagnostic Medicine can benefit your practice, please contact Dr. Zaneteas at 317-848-0800.