MUSC Health Brachial Plexus & Peripheral Nerve Injury Center

MUSC Health is home to the only comprehensive Brachial Plexus and Peripheral Nerve Injury Center in the state of South Carolina. Dr. Dane Daley and Dr. Matthew Sherrier lead MUSC’s comprehensive brachial plexus and peripheral nerve injury clinic. They take a multi-disciplinary approach to the treatment and management of these injuries. The brachial plexus and peripheral nerve injury center aims to streamline care to deliver a more comprehensive approach and one-stop-shop to these injuries including team-based evaluations, electrodiagnostic testing, advanced imaging, pain control options, and the latest in surgical innovation. Surgery, if indicated, includes: brachial plexus reconstruction, muscle and tendon transfer, nerve transfers, nerve grafting, and surgical management for chronic injuries or obstetric brachial plexus birth palsy (OBBP).

Services Offered

• Comprehensive evaluation of adult, pediatric, and neonatal brachial plexus injuries
• Electrodiagnostic testing (NCS/EMG)
• Ultrasound evaluation and ultrasound-guided injections
• Management of neuromas in amputated limbs
• Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR)
• Occupational and physical therapy
• Intercostal nerve injury diagnosis and treatment

Brachial plexus injuries can occur from a stretch injury or severe trauma to the neck and upper shoulder resulting in a temporary or permanent injury to the brachial plexus. The brachial plexus is a group of nerves emerging from your spinal cord that are responsible for the sensory and function of the upper extremities. Injuries to the brachial plexus can result in severe pain to varying degrees of sensory and function (aka motor) loss. The best outcomes occur with early identification and treatment. These treatments can be as simple as careful close monitoring for return of function or more complex with brachial plexus reconstruction, nerve transfers, and/or tendon/muscle transfers to restore upper extremity function.

Peripheral nerve injuries can occur from many causes including arthritis, trauma, surgical injuries and planned surgical resections. As orthopaedic hand and upper extremity surgeons, we uniquely have the tools to provide care for these patients with reconstruction of the nerve itself, nerve transfers to provide a more intuitive function, tendon transfer to replace the function of the muscles, and fusion of joints to allow for stability. Each peripheral nerve injury is unique and the treatment plan will be patient specific depending on location of injury, chronicity of injury, and type of injury.

The MUSC Health Brachial Plexus and Peripheral Nerve Injury Center streamlines care for patients and allows for early identification of these injuries, completion of preoperative testing, and early communication with physicians in the field accustomed to the care of patients with complex injuries. Surgery, if necessary, is performed with a team approach directed towards the optimal functional recovery of the patient. This team approach allows for an exponential increase in the quality of care and is a unique strength of this program. During recovery, therapists specializing in hand and upper extremity recovery, who have a unique exposure to this complex care, provide an integral part of your recovery. Additionally, mental health professionals, prosthetists, plastic surgeons, and physical therapists help to round out our multi-disciplinary team. The advanced imaging techniques and complex electrodiagnostic testing only available at a large academic medical center along with a team of surgeon leaders in the field allow patients this option within South Carolina.