SEVERE BRACHIAL-PLEXUS INJURY AS A RESULT OF SNOWMOBILING - A CASE SERIES

Background: Documented snowmobile-related fatalities and injuries have increased; however, reports of peripheral nerve injuries are rare. Me thods: This case series describes a cluster of severe disabling brachi al plexus injuries incurred during snowmobiling. Medical record abstra ction was used to identify relevant patient and event characteristics. Results: An study patients were younger male snowmobile drivers. ABI incidents occurred at speeds in excess of 40 mph. Blood alcohol concen trations exceeded legal intoxication limits in most cases. Complete da mage of the brachial plexus occurred in four of the six patients; seve re disability occurred in all cases. Five of the six patients sustaine d associated orthopedic shoulder complex injuries. Conclusion: This fi rst report of severe peripheral nerve damage may signal the advent of more severe nonfatal snowmobile-related injuries that mimic motorcycle -related injuries, because the maximum attainable speeds of snowmobile s have increased. Surveillance of smowmobile-related injuries is warra nted to identify the full spectrum of snowmobile injuries and recommen d public safety measures.