Brachial Plexus Injuries

Research

Mayo Clinic in Minnesota has two laboratory research projects under way related to brachial plexus injuries.

Nerve Conduits
Mayo is developing and testing new nerve tubes for peripheral nerve repair. These nerve tubes, made of biomaterials invented at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, are flexible and easy to suture. This research investigates the influence of structure on the support of the regrowth of nerves.

If it is possible to use a nerve conduit to bridge large gaps and improve regeneration by separate guidance of regenerating axons (neural fibers that conduct electrical impulses away from the cell), patients will benefit as the disadvantages of autograft (tissue transplanted from one part of the body to another), such as donor-site pain, sensory abnormality, and separate incisions and limited availability, are avoided.

Choline Acetyltransferase (CAT) Assay: Application for Diagnosis and Treatment of Brachial Plexus Injuries
This research project evaluates the relationship between CAT (an enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of acetylcholine from acetyl coenzyme A and choline) activity levels in injured nerves and muscle function.

The measurement of CAT activity in brachial plexus nerves can determine the level of motor fibers (nerve fibers than cause motion) present. If there is a relationship between the level of CAT activity and functional recovery of muscle, then high CAT activity areas of the nerve can be targeted to specific muscles to improve motor ability. Patients will benefit from the ability to target specific muscles for improved mobility.

Publications by Mayo Physicians

See a list of publications by Mayo Clinic authors on brachial plexus on PubMed, a service of the National Library of Medicine.

Mayo Clinic surgeons taught a course called Advances in Adult Brachial Plexus Reconstruction: A Surgical Skills Course in April 2006 for the American Association for Hand Surgery.