Brachial Plexus Injury

The brachial plexus is a network of nerves that carries signals from the spine to the shoulder, arm and hand. Damage to these nerves can lead to paralysis or a lack of muscle control. Injuries in adults predominantly affect young men and are often associated with sports injuries or motor vehicle accidents, particularly among cyclists and motorcyclists.

The national service is based at the Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow, but the team also provide outreach follow-up in the north and east of Scotland.

Last year, 63 patients were referred to the service, which was an increase over the previous year (16). There were 19 admissions for primary nerve exploration and repair, and 4 cases of secondary reconstruction.

Annual Report

The most recent annual report for the Scottish National Brachial Plexus Injury service is available below:

Scottish National Brachial Plexus Inujury Service annual report 2009/10 [23 pages, 346Kb]

Lead clinician:

Mr Tim Hems (Orthopaedic Surgeon)

Service contact address:

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Victoria Infirmary
Langside Road
GLASGOW
G42 9TY

National Services Division contacts:

To contact members of NSD staff, please visit our staff contacts page.

Isabel Gavin, Programme Manager
Tracey Curtis, Assistant Programme Manager
Carol Woods, Programme Support Officer