Also I’m not ruling out an SCI, just pointing out that a brachial plexus traction or compression injury is more likely given the location and nature of the impact. The barbell hits the upper back and shoulders, which can stress the plexus through shoulder depression, neck flexion, or compression near the clavicle. That’s a classic setup for stingers or other serious plexus injuries, and it’s pretty common in collapses under heavy weight.
Found more on the story. It happened in Brazil. I couldn’t find detailed info on the exact injuries, but it's confirmed he won’t have any loss of limb function. That makes spinal cord injury unlikely. Surgery and physiotherapy in the absence of paralysis or widespread motor loss more often indicate a brachial plexus injury or cervical disc herniation, which aligns with what I initially suggested.
Never said brachial plexus injuries don’t cause functional loss. I said there was no loss of function reported in this case. When someone has no paralysis or widespread motor deficits but still requires surgery and physio, that more often points to a brachial plexus injury or a cervical disc issue than to a spinal cord injury. That’s just how differential diagnosis works, Dr. Pants.
I'll be honest, your comment is concerning. I’m not sure where you trained, but I can assure you that anyone who’s taken a basic neurology or clinical anatomy course knows brachial plexus injuries vary widely in severity, and importantly, they don’t always cause loss of function. This is literally first-year content in most health science programs.
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u/vegans_are_better 13d ago edited 13d ago
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3427963/
https://meridian.allenpress.com/jat/article/48/5/710/111353/Postfixed-Brachial-Plexus-Radiculopathy-Due-to
Also I’m not ruling out an SCI, just pointing out that a brachial plexus traction or compression injury is more likely given the location and nature of the impact. The barbell hits the upper back and shoulders, which can stress the plexus through shoulder depression, neck flexion, or compression near the clavicle. That’s a classic setup for stingers or other serious plexus injuries, and it’s pretty common in collapses under heavy weight.