Brachial Plexus Team Presents at International Conference
| Cincinnati Children's Brachial Plexus Team |
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| (From l to r) Allison Allgier, OTR/L, clinic coordinator, Kevin Yakuboff, MD, plastic and reconstructive surgery, Mohab Foad, MD, orthopaedic surgery, Carrie Schmitt, administrative assistant, Linda Michaud, MD, physical medicine and rehabilitation, Charles T. Mehlman, DO, MPH, orthopaedic surgery, Susan Foad, MPH, outcomes coordinator. |
Three members of the Brachial Plexus Team at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center did more than avoid the cold weather when they flew to Puerto Rico this January. Linda Michaud, MD, physical medicine and rehabilitation, Mohab Foad, MD, hand surgeon, and Susan Foad, MPH, outcomes coordinator, traveled to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to represent Cincinnati Children's at the Club A. Narakas 15th International Symposium on Brachial Plexus Surgery. This prestigious conference features the world's leading experts on brachial plexus injuries.
The 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."
Professor Alain Gilbert, co-organizer of the event and a world-leading brachial plexus expert, will be the keynote speaker at Cincinnati Children's First Brachial Plexus Conference from June 15-16.
