MRI For The Diagnosis Of Brachial Plexus Injury

Objective:To observe the performance of MRI in brachial plexus, evaluate the role of MRI to the injury in brachial plexus.Methods:The 1.5T magnetic resonance was used on 29 patients and 10 normal volunteers with brachial plexus scanning, according to the situation of each lesion with a multi-angle, multidimensional and surface reconstruction, etc. By evaluating the brachial plexus injuries, the results were compared with the findings of surgery.Results:We have 16 cases of patients with preganglionic injury of the supraclavicular brachial plexus exploration. A total of 28 exploration of the nerve roots, found that 23 there is a continuous interruption of nerve root. The MRI showed that there is 22 nerve roots'injury. We have 13 cases of postganglionic injury patients had subclavian brachial plexus exploration. A total of 18 exploration nerve bundles were found to have eight interrupt the continuity of nerve bundles,6 nerve bundle scar adhesions, degeneration, while the magnetic resonance showed 14 nerve bundles there is injury. The results showed that the correctness of MRI are 89.3% inside the part of the spinal canal and 88.9% outside the part of the spinal canal. The manifestations of brachial plexus injury in MRI are the signs of the nerves root defect,the shift of spinal cord,the "deform" of spinal cord and the "black line signs". Post-ganglionic injury MR findings are classified four types:normal, degenerative, scar, and absent of nerve. MRI can clearly show the two parts of the brachial plexus inside and outside the spinal canal.Conclusion:MRI is the best imaging technique to brachial plexus injury. MRI can fully display the characteristics of brachial plexus injury. It has high accuracy and shows the two parts of the brachial plexus inside and outside the spinal canal.