Traumatic Intraneural Bone Fracture Fragment

Intraneural bone was identified on pathologic examination of a neuroma-in-continuity resected for repair of the suprascapular nerve 4 months after a brachial plexus injury. The acute onset of the neurologic deficit, the location of the neuroma within the scapular notch, and the proximity of the neural pathology to a comminuted scapula fracture suggest traumatic penetration of the nerve by a bone fragment. To the authors’ knowledge, the observation of bone within a neuroma has not been previously reported. (Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances 23(1):45–48, 2014)

Key words: brachial plexus injury, nerve graft, neurorrhaphy, suprascapular nerve, trauma