Perioperative Upper Extremity Peripheral Nerve Injury and Patient Positioning: What Anesthesiologists Need to Know

Peripheral nerve injury is a rare but significant perioperative complication. Despite a variety of investigations that include observational, experimental, human cadaveric and animal studies, we have an incomplete understanding of the etiology of PPNI and the means to prevent it. In this article we reviewed current knowledge pertinent to perioperative upper extremity peripheral nerve injury and optimal intraoperative patient positioning.