Brachial Plexus Lesions

All who knew Algimantas Narakas and all who benefited from his life and work will welcome Dr. Bonnard's and Dr. Slooffs tribute to the memoryofthis great man. Narakas overcame illness, physical handicap and the eccentricities of European politics to become the leading figure of the day in the surgery of the upper limb and in particular in that of lesions of the brachial plexus. His painstaking and innovative work on the brachial plexus and on closed lesions of that structure led, with Millesi's, to the great advance in this field that took place in the 1970s and 1980s. It was extended, with similar consequences, to include obstetric injuries and radiation neuropathy. While engaged in this exacting work, Narakas found time to make important contributions to other aspects of the surgery of the upper limb, including in particular paralysis of the muscles of the shoulder girdle and entrapments at or near the thoracic outlet. Narakas was a bold, patient and tireless surgeon, a careful observer and a me ticulous recorder, original in thought and action, and widely read in his own and other fields ofstudy. Himselfaware ofpain, suffering and disability, Nara kas treated patients with steady care and consideration, not sparing himselfin the taskofalleviating disability by advice and action. He owed much ofhis tri umph to his happy marriage to Colette Kenel and to his happy home with her, his son Alexandre and his daughter Diane.