The task of this paper is to familiarize practicing neurologists, neurosurgeons, traumatologists, and orthopedists with the current principles of diagnosis and treatment of different brachial plexus (BP) injuries. Part I describes the anatomy of BP in detail, considers the main mechanisms of its injuries, and gives their current classification (Nervno-Myshechnye Bolezni (Neuromuscular Diseases) 2012;4:19–27).
Part II presents the author's approach to treatment of brachial plexus injuries according to the type of lesion and period of denervation: nonoperative methods; rehabilitation; preoperative management; indications for surgical treatment. The tactics and techniques of primary brachial plexus reconstructions are discussed in detail.

The study of anti-glycolipid antibodies has become available to general practice in Russia. Indications for determining antibodies to gangliosides
are Guillain–Barré syndrome, Miller Fisher syndrome, Bickerstaff’s encephalitis, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, multifocal motor neuropathy. The indication for measuring anti-MAG antibodies is IgM paraprotein-associated polyneuropathy. These immunological tests must be included in diagnostic protocols if the listed dysimmune diseases are suspected.

The authors examined 40 muscle biopsy specimens taken from patients with neuromuscular symptoms when the diagnosis was unestablished or presumptive. Eighteen of them exhibited foci of muscle fiber damage with the presence of spirochete-like structures in the semithin tissue sections. Electron microscopy of these areas detected Borrelia as vegetative and diverse L-forms. Immunocytochemical techniques using
antibodies to Borrelia burgdorferi antigens confirmed that the spirochetes belonged to this species. This allows one to consider borreliosis as an etiological or complicating factor of neuromuscular pathology and to recommend the above morphological methods for the diagnosis of neuromuscular diseases of unknown origin.

The paper considers current approaches to the clinical laboratory diagnosis of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy with emphasis on its autosomal dominant forms. The authors describe their clinical observation of a case of late diagnosis of the pelvifemoral form of autosomal dominant limbgirdle muscular dystrophy in a 37-year-old patient.