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CAPT. J. KIFFIN PENRY; DICK HOEFNAGEL, M.D.; STANLEY VAN DEN NOORT, M.D.; D. DENNY-BROWN, M.D.

Arch Neurol. 1960;3(5):500-512.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings.

Thorburn¹³ was the first to describe a peculiar posture of the upper extremities following an injury to the cervical spine. It was characterized by abduction of the arms and flexion of the forearms with complete paralysis below the C5 level. Although this posture is not rare in clinical medicine, we have found only a few subsequent reports. That the posture results from paralysis of one segmentally innervated group of muscles with unopposed action of antagonists has become generally accepted.⁸ There are situations where the abnormal posture persists in the absence of volition, or when the overactive muscles cannot be contracted by willed effort. For such states no more satisfactory explanation has been offered since Thorburn first reported the condition.

In this communication, we present a clinical and pathologic study of 3 cases with an abnormal posture in one or more extremities, review other reports, and offer an explanation . . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]

Author Affiliations
USAF (MC); Boston

Footnotes
Received for publication July 1, 1960.

This work was supported in part by grant S-84-S58C from the United Cerebral Palsy Research and Educational Foundation, Inc.

The views of the Air Force author are personal and should not be construed as a statement of official Air Force policy. Present address: USAF Hospital Maxwell, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama.

Presented at the 85th Annual Meeting of the American Neurological Association, Boston, June 14, 1960.; From the Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School and the Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine; the Neurological Unit and Pediatric Service, Boston City Hospital.

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