• Brian Chin, Maleka Ramji, Forough Farrokhyar, and James R Bain.
• Division of Plastic Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
• Neurosurgery. 2018 Sep 1; 83 (3): 323-332.

BackgroundTraumatic brachial plexus injury (BPI) can result in debilitating sequelae of the upper extremity. Presently, therapeutic decisions are based on the mechanism of injury, serial physical examination, electromyography, nerve conduction, and imaging studies. While magnetic resonance imaging is the current imaging modality of choice for BPI, ultrasound is a promising newcomer that is inexpensive, accessible, and available at point of care.ObjectiveTo evaluate ultrasound as a diagnostic tool in the assessment of traumatic adult BPI through a systematic review.MethodsAn electronic literature search was completed in MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Cochrane databases up to July 2016. Two independent reviewers completed the screening and data extraction. Methodological quality of studies was evaluated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. Statistical analysis was used to estimate pooled sensitivities and study heterogeneity.ResultsSeven studies were included. Four studies compared the detection of pre- and postganglionic lesions at different levels (C5-T1) to surgical exploration as the reference standard. Sensitivity of lesion detection was greater in the upper and middle spinal nerves: C5 (93%, confidence interval [CI] = 78%-100%), C6 (94%, CI = 82%-100%), and C7 (95%, CI = 86%-100%) than in the lower: C8 (71%, CI = 36%-95%) and T1 (56%, CI = 29%-81%).ConclusionIndividual studies demonstrate ultrasound as an effective diagnostic tool for traumatic adult BPI. Sensitivity of lesion detection was noted to be greater in the upper and middle (C5-C7) than in the lower spinal nerves (C8, T1). Further standardized studies should be performed to confirm the utility of ultrasound in the diagnosis of traumatic adult BPI.

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