Brachial Plexus Team Presents at International Conference
In May 2009, six members of the Brachial Plexus Team at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center particpated in the Club A. Narakas 16th International Symposium. This prestigious conference featured the world's leading experts on brachial plexus injuries. Roger Cornwall, MD, orthopaedic hand surgeon presented his basic science research "Muscle fibrosis and contracture formation following neonatal brachial plexus injury: a potential pharmacological target for contracture prevention. Linda Michaud, MD , physical medicine and rehabilitation presented a session on preoperative neurophysiology and another on the use of electrodiagnostics for the shoulder.
In 2007, three members of the brachial plexus team also participated in the 15th symposium in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Linda Michaud, MD, physical medicine and rehabilitation, Mohab Foad, MD, hand surgeon, and Susan Foad, MPH, outcomes coordinator represented Cincinnati Children's with the following presentations:
The 2007 conference began with a presentation by Susan Foad entitled, "Incidence of Neonatal Brachial Plexus Injury in the US and Potential Risk Factors," which reported evidence based on a study authored by Charles T. Mehlman, DO, MPH, Jun Ying, and Foad. From data collection, the study found the US incidence rate to be 1.5 per 1,000 live births and identified shoulder dystocia during childbirth as the highest risk factor.
Michaud presented the Brachial Plexus team's successful results using Botox to address muscle imbalance to improve range of motion in children with brachial plexus injuries.
Mohab Foad presented a study, "Evidence-based Review of Prognosis of Brachial Plexus Injuries," which reports the Cincinnati Children's Brachial Plexus team has found that spontaneous recovery of brachial plexus injuries is not as likely as originally claimed by experts.
About Club A. Narakas
Club A. Narakas was designed in honor of Algimantas Otonas Narakas (1927-1993), a pioneer in brachial plexus surgery who influenced many of the current leaders in the advancement of understanding nerve damage and repair. The conference agenda truly lists a "Who's Who" in the brachial plexus international community, signifying a growing respect for the research and clinical care the Brachial Plexus team has accomplished in the past four years since its inception.
"It was an amazing experience to be in a room with the most respected leaders in this field," says Susan Foad. "Talking with with people from all over the world who are widely published and sharing the research we've done at Cincinnati Children's was a watershed moment for our center as we continue to expand our research and our goal to become a leader in treating brachial plexus injuries."
