Current Clinical Concepts: Rehabilitation of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) involves inconsistent symptoms, presenting a challenge for medical providers to diagnose and treat. Thoracic outlet syndrome is defined as a compression injury to the brachial plexus, subclavian artery or vein, or axillary artery or vein occurring between the cervical spine and upper extremity. Three common subcategories are now used for clinical diagnosis: neurogenic, arterial, and venous. Postural position and repetitive motions such as throwing, weightlifting, and manual labor can lead to symptoms. Generally, TOS is considered a diagnosis of exclusion for athletes due to the poor accuracy of clinical testing, including sensitivity and specificity. Thus, determining a definitive diagnosis and reporting injury is difficult. Current literature suggests there is not a gold standard diagnostic test. Rehabilitation has been shown to be a vital component in the recovery process for neurogenic TOS and for arterial TOS and venous TOS in postoperative situations.

Compressão da artéria subclávia por pseudoartrose de clavícula: apresentação na quinta década de vida / Late presentation of critical upper limb ischemia caused by pseudarthrosis of the clavicle

A compressão da artéria subclávia no desfiladeiro torácico é um fenômeno amplamente conhecido. Anormalidades ósseas, como a pseudoartrose da clavícula, podem raramente causar compressão arterial a esse nível. A pseudoartrose pode desenvolver-se em decorrência de um trauma, que é a forma mais comum, ou ser congênita. Os autores descrevem o caso de uma paciente de 44 anos com quadro de isquemia crítica de membro superior direito. Apresentava história de fratura não tratada de clavícula direita aos 9 meses de idade que evoluiu com pseudoartrose e compressão extrínseca com oclusão da artéria subclávia. O segmento da clavicula acometido pela pseudoartrose foi ressecado e realizada uma tromboembolectomia tardia das artérias subclávia, braquial e distais, com boa evolução.

Compression of the subclavian artery in the thoracic outlet is a well-known phenomenon. In rare cases, bone abnormalities, such as pseudarthrosis of the clavicle, can cause arterial compression at this level. Pseudarthrosis may develop as a result of trauma, which is the more common form, or it may be congenital. Here, the authors describe the case of a 44-year-old patient with critical ischemia of the right upper limb. She had a history of untreated right clavicle fracture at 9 months of age which had progressed to pseudarthrosis and extrinsic compression of the subclavian artery causing occlusion. The segment of the clavicle involved was resected and late thromboembolectomy of the subclavian, brachial, distal arteries was performed, with good results.