Evaluation of cervical region joint range of motion, proprioception, and functionality in healthy children and children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy

This study was conducted to evaluate the range of motion, proprioception and functionality of the cervical region in healthy children and children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP). Thirty children with obstetric brachial plexus palsy (OBPP) and 30 healthy children between the ages of 7 and 18 who volunteered were included in the study. The Narakas Classification System (NSS) was used to determine the type of injury in children with OBPP; the Active Motion Scale and the Gilbert Raimondi Scale were used to measure the range of motion in all joints of the dominant and non-dominant upper extremities; the Cervical Range of Motion (CROM) device was used to evaluate cervical region proprioception, and the Modified Mallet Classification System was used to evaluate upper extremity functionality. The data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics 22 program. According to the Active Motion Scale and the Gilbert-Raimondi Scale; Children with OBPP had less range of motion in the non-dominant (affected by OBPP) upper extremities than healthy children (p<0.001). According to CROM measurements, children with OBPP and healthy children were similar in terms of cervical region flexion, extension, right lateral flexion and right rotation proprioception levels (p>0.05). Children with OBPP had better dominant side (left) cervical rotation and dominant side (left) cervical lateral flexion proprioception levels than healthy children (p<0.001). According to the Modified Mallet Classification System measurements, children with OBPP had less functional range of motion of the shoulder in all directions of the non-dominant upper extremity than healthy children (p<0.001). The results of our study demonstrated that in children born with OBPP, the range of motion of the affected upper extremity was decreased, proprioception in the cervical region was increased on the unaffected side, and the affected upper extremity was less functionally used. Periodic musculoskeletal assessments of the upper extremity and cervical region of children with OBPP would be valuable.