Publication At A Glance

Long-term Outcomes of Triangle Tilt Surgery for Obstetric Brachial Plexus Injury

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the long term outcomes for individuals (who were previously diagnosed as having an obstetric brachial plexus injury) who underwent the Triangle Tilt procedure.

We studied 61 individuals with ages ranging from 2-12 years. Upon examination (prior to surgery), they were found to have a "medial rotation contracture" and the "SHEAR deformity". Our examinations took place before surgery, one year after surgery and two years after surgery. We used CT scan technology to view and measure the exact size and alignment of the shoulder anatomy. We also physically examined each patient to see their actual functional movement and charted it on the (modifed) Mallet Scale.

At the one year mark after the surgery, we saw quite a bit of improvement in shoulder abduction, external rotation and hand-to-mouth movements. Two years after the surgery we also saw improvement in hand-to-neck and hand-to-spine movements.

CT scans that were done later (27 months) showed that the shoulder socket had remodeled itself into a healthier shape (glenohumeral remodeling) and that the humeral head was well placed in the shoulder socket (glenoid congruence).

We concluded that the Triangle Tilt surgery had remarkable long-term results for the actual structure of the shoulder joint and for a marked increase in functional movement.