Epidemiology
There are few North American epidemiological studies for traumatic brachial plexus injury. One study of 4538 polytrauma patients found that about 1% presenting to a tertiary trauma facility had sustained brachial plexus injuries.[5] Subgroups of patients with motorcycle and snowmobile injuries had higher rates of brachial plexus injury (about 5%). These occur predominantly in young men. One study of privately insured adults under age 65 years in the US estimated the annual incidence of surgically treated brachial plexus injury to be 0.89 per 100,000 people, with incidence increasing over time.[6]
Trauma records in the US in 2016 found that approximately 400,000 patients nationally suffered moderate to severe traumatic injuries (9 to 24 points on the Injury Severity Score).[7] If 1% of that number is taken as an estimate of traumatic brachial plexus injury prevalence, then roughly 4000 patients a year sustain these injuries.
There are no studies of traumatic brachial plexus injuries in other geographical areas, but the increased use of motorcycles in developing countries may mean significantly higher rates of these injuries in such areas.[8] It should be noted that the incidence of obstetric brachial plexus injury in neonates following birth is much higher, perhaps 10 times greater, than the incidence of traumatic brachial plexus injury.[9] One meta-analysis estimated an incidence of neonatal brachial plexus palsy of 1.74 per 1000 live births.[10] See our BMJ Best Practice topic on Erb's palsy for more information.
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