USE OF EXTERNALLY-POWERED ORTHOSIS TO ADDRESS COMPLEXITIES ASSOCIATED WITH BILATERAL BRACHIAL PLEXOPATHY

INTRODUCTION Brachial plexus injuries are often caused by trauma, tumors or inflammation. The severity of the injury may vary, however in most traumatic cases, the supraclavicular region is impacted. Depending on the severity of the injury, surgery is often indicated early due to the likelihood of nerve regeneration. Surgical procedures include neurolysis, nerve grafting and neurotisation; where approximately 45% will regain adequate function to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) and return to work. According to current data, approximately 9,700 individuals per year will remain disabled due to the injury. For individuals where surgical intervention has not provided improvement in function, alternative solutions must be investigated. Particularly for those with bilateral involvement, potential solutions include orthotic technology. Like users of prosthetic technology, there is a wide array of technology available, intended to meet the diverse needs experienced by the population of individual who have lost function of the upper limbs. This paper describes the challenges experienced by an individual with bilateral brachial plexus injuries and addresses the case solutions using collaborative inter-professional practice.1-4 Abstract PDF  Link: https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/cpoj/article/view/32047/24461 How to cite: Delgado C, Latour D.  USE OF EXTERNALLY-POWERED ORTHOSIS TO ADDRESS COMPLEXITIES ASSOCIATED WITH BILATERAL BRACHIAL PLEXOPATHY. CANADIAN PROSTHETICS & ORTHOTICS JOURNAL, VOLUME 1, ISSUE 2, 2018;  ABSTRACT, ORAL PRESENTATION AT THE AOPA’S 101ST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY, SEPT. 26-29, VANCOUVER, CANADA, 2018. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33137/cpoj.v1i2.32047 Abstracts were Peer-reviewed by the American Orthotic Prosthetic Association (AOPA) 101st National Assembly Scientific Committee.  http://www.aopanet.org