Abstract

Background: The presentations of Erb’s palsy due to birth-related peripheral nerve injury of the brachial plexus could be based on the type and extent of child’s injury sustained.

Purpose: This study was aimed at verifying the presentation of Erb’s palsy between 2001−2009.

Methodology: This was a retrospective study design, which determined the presentation of Erb’s palsy as reported on the folders of the patients between 2001−2009 in the Physiotherapy Department of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu Nigeria.

Findings: This study showed that among the presentations of Erb’s palsy, inability of the subjects to move their upper limb had the highest occurrence (n=22; 24.2%), followed by their inability to raise the limb (n=19; 20.9%) and inability to raise the arm above the shoulder (n=9; 9.9%). The study reveals that higher birth weight (>4.0kg) may have led to the increased risk factors, resulting to increase in assisted delivery (n=46; 50.7%). In addition, the study reveals that Erb’s palsy injury is more on the right upper limb than left limb, with females (n=52; 57.1%) on a higher incidence than males.

Conclusion: This study showed that there is various clinical presentation of Erb’s palsy and patients may present differently or similarly depending on the level of injury at the Brachial plexus. In addition, the causes and precipitating risk factors in Erb’s palsy includes assisted delivery because of increased birth weight, forced delivery, prolonged delivery, breech delivery and some unknown factors.