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In vivo biomechanical responses of neonatal brachial plexus when subjected to stretch
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

In vivo biomechanical responses of neonatal brachial plexus when subjected to stretch

Anita Singh, Virginia Orozco and Sriram Balasubramanian
PloS one, v 18(8), pe0290718
30 Aug 2023
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0290718
Featured in Collection :   UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
url
https://doi.org/10.1128/JVI.00519-17View
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY V4.0,  Open
url
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0290718View
Published, Version of Record (VoR) Open

Abstract

Aluminum Animal tissues Blood vessels Brachial plexus Cameras Failure Fibers Heart rate In vivo methods and tests Neonates Nerves Structural damage Swine Terminal nerve Animal Models Biomechanics Injury Prevention Mechanical Properties Paralysis Physiology
Neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) results from over-stretching of the neonatal brachial plexus during complicated birthing scenarios. The lack of information on the biomechanical response of the neonatal brachial plexus complex when subjected to stretch limits our understanding of the NBPP injury mechanism. This study aims to fill that critical gap by using a neonatal piglet animal model and providing the in vivo biomechanical properties of the neonatal brachial plexus complex when subjected to stretch. Forty-seven brachial plexus levels (identified by the four brachial plexus terminal nerve branches namely musculocutaneous, median, ulnar, and radial), obtained from 16 neonatal Yorkshire piglets (3–5 days old), were subjected to stretch-induced failure. The average maximum load and corresponding strain were reported to be 16.6 ± 1.3 N and 36.1 ± 1.6%, respectively. Maximum loads reported at the musculocutaneous level were significantly lower than the median and radial levels. No differences in strains at failure were reported at all four tested levels. Proximal or distal failure locations were reported in 83% of the tests with 17% mid-length ruptures that were primarily reported at the bifurcation of the median and ulnar brachial plexus levels. Histological studies reported an overall loss of wavy pattern of the nerve fibers, an increase in nerve spacing, fiber disruptions, and blood vessel ruptures in the stretched tissue. This in vivo piglet animal study offers insight into the NBPP mechanism by reporting biomechanical, injury location, and structural damage responses in neonatal brachial plexus when subjected to stretch.

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#3 Good Health and Well-Being

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Collaboration types
Domestic collaboration
Web of Science research areas
Obstetrics & Gynecology
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