El Paso Children’s Hospital and Texas Tech offer the only multi-specialty pediatric Brachial Plexus Program in the Paso Del Norte region and throughout New Mexico, Southern Colorado and Arizona. We provide a, team-based, comprehensive approach to care for babies, children, adolescents and young adults with brachial plexus birth injuries and peripheral nerve disorders.

We care for our patients from the time of injury through adulthood, tailoring therapies to assure each patient achieves their highest level of function and independence. This includes the latest techniques in physical therapy, surgery and microsurgery by Fellowship trained, board-certified plastic surgeons, neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons who work as a team depending on your child’s needs.

What is the Brachial Plexus?

The brachial plexus is a collection of nerves in the shoulder that carries the signals from the spinal cord that provide muscle movement and feeling in the hand, fingers and arm. There’s one brachial plexus on either side of the body, near the collarbone.

“Brachial” is a medical term that means, “related to the arm.” Basically, the brachial plexus is the electrical wiring system that allows the brain to operate the shoulder, arm, elbow, wrist, hand and fingers on that side of the body.

The brachial plexus begins with five nerve roots in the lower neck and upper back (vertebrae C5 through T1). After exiting the spine on either side, these nerves interweave, forming what’s called a plexus. As it heads down toward the fingers, the plexus branches into successively smaller parts. This allows the nerves to transmit sensation and movement signals to and from every part of the hand and arm.