Diagnosis and operative treatment for the brachial plexus injury.

It is shown that the electrophysiological diagnosis of brachial plexus injury is becoming more precise than ever. The intraoperative use of electrodiagnosis especially aids the obtaining of better results for brachial plexus injuries. When nerve transfer is undertaken, biceps function is more usefully restored by the accessory nerve than by the intercostal nerves. Protective sensation was achieved in almost all cases by intercostal nerve transfer. When nerve grafting was undertaken, functional motor restoration was regained in the upper arm muscles in one case, but not in the forearm.