Axillary Artery and Brachial Plexus Injuries due to Anterior Shoulder Dislocation

Abstract

Axillary artery injury after shoulder dislocation, without an associated bone fracture is very rare. Vascular injuries associated with brachial plexus lesions range in incidence from 27% to 44%. Management of axillary artery injury is mainly surgical and depends on the extent and the site of injury. The treatment of associated nerve injuries is more controversial. There is a scarcity of literature surrounding the association of injury to the brachial plexus, axillary artery and to the shoulder. The authors report a case of axillary artery associated with a delayed brachial plexus palsy and review the literature with the aim to identify the clinical pattern of this condition and to evaluate the outcome of neuropraxia after blunt axillary artery injury associated with anterior shoulder dislocation.