Klumpke’s Palsy

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Klumpke’s palsy is a condition that causes loss of sensation and paralysis in the lower arm, wrist, and hand. It can occur in newborns with nerve damage from complications during labor and delivery. A baby with this condition may have mild, temporary symptoms or a permanent disability, depending on the severity of damage to the nerves.

What Is Klumpke’s Palsy?

Klumpke’s palsy is a condition, most often a birth injury, resulting from damage to the brachial plexus nerves.[1]

The brachial plexus nerves run from the spine, along the side of the neck, through the armpit area, and down the arm. They allow movement and sensation in the arm, wrist, and hand. Any damage to these nerves that causes symptoms is known as a brachial plexus injury or brachial plexus palsy.

When the nerves that run to a specific area in the lower part of the arm, mostly the wrist and hand, are damaged, the resulting injury is known as Klumpke’s palsy.

This is a type of brachial plexus palsy, sometimes called Dejerine-Klumpke palsy. When the damage to the nerves affects only the arm, it is known as Erb’s palsy.

In general, palsy refers to a type of paralysis, although it does not necessarily mean complete paralysis. A palsy can cause various symptoms, from muscle weakness to uncontrolled movements to partial or total paralysis of muscles.

What Causes Klumpke’s Palsy?

The ultimate cause of Klumpke’s palsy is some degree of damage to the brachial plexus nerves. The types and degrees of injuries, listed from milder to more severe, include:

• Stretching
• Scarring
• Rupture, tearing of the nerves in place
• Avulsion, a tearing of the nerves away from the spine

Brachial plexus injuries occur most often in newborn babies due to birth trauma and injury. Potential complications of pregnancy and childbirth that may increase the risk of developing Klumpke’s palsy include:

• A difficult vaginal birth that causes pulling and stretching of the nerves
• A baby in a breech or other abnormal position in the birth canal
• Labor induction or abnormalities
• A large birth weight
• Substantial maternal weight gain
• Operative vaginal delivery with improper use of forceps or other delivery tools
• Maternal diabetes
• Previous deliveries with this type of complication
• The second stage of labor lasts more than an hour

Klumpke’s palsy can develop at any age. Other causes of this condition include accidents and traumatic injuries that damage the nerves, as well as tumors around the brachial plexus nerves.

What Are the Symptoms of Klumpke’s Palsy?

A baby with Klumpke’s palsy may exhibit a range of symptoms. Some may be immediately obvious, while they are mild enough to go unnoticed initially in other cases.

• Limp lower arm, minimal arm, and hand movement
• Poor reflexes
• Sensory loss
• Paralysis
• Stiff joints
• Pain
• Muscle weakness and atrophy
• Claw hand, tightened hand, and fingers

A newborn with Klumpke’s palsy holds the arm in an unusual way. The palm may be turned upward or outward while the elbow remains bent. The symptoms range from mild to severe, depending on the extent of nerve damage.

How Is Klumpke’s Palsy Diagnosed?

Observing the symptoms is often enough for a doctor to diagnose Klumpke’s palsy. A doctor may use X-rays, an MRI, or another type of imaging scan to look for damage. These tests can confirm the diagnosis, determine the location of the damaged area, and estimate the severity of the injury.

Electrical activity and nerve conduction tests can also confirm nerve damage and help determine its severity.

Treatment of Klumpke’s Palsy

There are several treatment options for Klumpke’s Palsy. Most cases are caused by stretch injuries, and they usually resolve in the first six months. For these milder cases, your doctor will likely recommend beginning with non-surgical interventions.

Newborns can typically begin gentle massage and physical therapy right away. Exercises help improve the range of motion, reduce pain, and encourage healing in the nerves. A therapist may also recommend splints to align the hand, wrist, or arm properly.

For more severe cases of Klumpke palsy, when the nerve is torn instead of just stretched, a child may need surgery. Treatment often begins conservatively with therapy and progresses to surgical intervention if there is inadequate improvement after three to six months.[2]

Surgery may be the best option to repair or reconstruct nerves, transfer tendons for muscle movement, remove scar tissue from damaged nerves, or even graft a new nerve to replace a damaged one entirely.

What Is the Prognosis for Klumpke’s Palsy?

Most babies recover from Klumpke’s palsy. However, compared to nerve damage higher in the arm, those injuries that result in lower arm palsies are less likely to recover spontaneously.

In other words, some type of treatment or intervention is usually necessary for a good prognosis. The earlier that treatment begins, the better the expected outcome. Nerve injuries at the more severe end of the spectrum will generally require surgery. A baby with ruptured nerves will not heal without surgery.[3]

What to Do if Your Child Is Born with Klumpke’s Palsy

Sometimes, when a baby is born with brachial plexus injuries, no one is to blame. But in many cases, a medical professional’s decision or failure to act can be found to be the underlying cause.

A nurse, midwife, or doctor could use too much force, misuse birthing instruments, fail to order a C-section despite complications, or fail to diagnose or treat complications like diabetes in the mother.

If you believe that your child’s Klumpke’s palsy and disability could and should have been prevented, you may have a case for taking legal action. A birth injury lawyer can help you determine if medical malpractice occurred and your chances for a successful lawsuit.

The right lawyer will help you recover damages that will assist in paying for medical and other expenses related to the injury and obtain justice for you and your child.