Peripheral nerve entrapment syndromes of the upper limb

Peripheral nerve entrapment syndromes are a common condition in the upper limb resulting from the persistent application of pressure to a nerve. The symptoms include pain, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness and atrophy. The distribution of symptoms depends upon the nerve affected. This article discusses the aetiology, epidemiology and pathogenesis of peripheral nerve entrapment in the context of the upper limb, as well as the principles of diagnosis and management. Common examples of nerve entrapment are described in greater depth.     

Focal hand dystonia in a patient with ulnar nerve neuropathy at the elbow

We describe a patient who presented with dystonia of her small finger secondary to entrapment neuropathy of the ulnar nerve at the elbow. Pre operative electrophysiological studies suggested that the locus of entrapment was located proximal to the medial epicondyle. This was confirmed intraoperatively by the presence of a thickened and prominent arcade of Struthers. Surgical decompression resulted in a rapid and dramatic improvement of the dystonic pattern as well as an improvement in nerve conduction. A review of literature has not revealed any other reports of such a clear cut association between ulnar nerve entrapment and non task-specific focal hand dystonia.     

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings in Patients with Tarsal Tunnel Syndrome

Tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) is a common entrapment syndrome whose diagnosis can be difficult. We compared preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and operative findings in 23 consecutive TTS patients (28 sides) whose mean age was 74.5 years. The 1.5T MRI sequence was 3D T2* fat suppression. We compared the MRI findings with surgical records and intraoperative videos to evaluate them. MRI- and surgical findings revealed that a ganglion was involved on one side (3.6%), and the other 27 sides were diagnosed with idiopathic TTS. MRI visualized the nerve compression point on 23 sides (82.1%) but failed to reveal details required for surgical planning. During surgery of the other five sides (17.9%), three involved varices, and on one side each, there was connective tissue entrapment or nerve compression due to small vascular branch strangulation. MRI studies were useful for nerve compression due to a mass lesion or idiopathic factors. Although MRI revealed the compression site, it failed to identify the specific involvement of varices and small vessel branches and the presence of connective tissue entrapment.     

肘部尺神经卡压的定位诊断和电生理学研究

目的：对肘部尺神经卡压进行精确定位和电生理学研究。方法：对４６例临床诊断为肘部尺神经卡压患者，除进行常规ＥＭＧ、ＮＣＶ、和尺神经混合神经动作电位（ＭＮＡＰ）测定以外，还进行尺神经短段传导时间（ｓｈｏｒｔｓｅｇｍｅｎｔｃｏｎｄｕｃｔｉｏｎｔｉｍｅ，ＳＳＣＴ）测定。结果：４６例经ＳＳＣＴ测定，发现了卡压最常发生的４个部位，即肱骨内上髁后神经沟、肱尺弓、尺侧腕屈肌的出口和内侧肌间隔。结论：和传统的电生理测定方法相比较，ＳＳＣＴ技术可以更精确地对尺神经卡压进行定位诊断     

铍针治疗颈肩部皮神经卡压综合征

目的：探讨皮神经卡压综合征的发病机制和铍针的治疗机制。方法：采用铍针治疗78例颈肩部皮神经卡压综合征的患者，枕大皮神经卡压综合征18例，枕小皮神经卡压综合征5例，肩胛上皮神经卡压综合征27例，颈横皮神经卡压综合征4例．锁骨上皮神经卡压综合征24例。其中男35例，女43例；年龄19～63岁，平均39．8岁。根据治疗前后患者颈肩部疼痛的改变判定疗效。结果：临床痊愈54例；显效16例；有效8例。结论：通过铍针对皮下组织、筋膜和肌肉的切割，使筋膜表面张力降低，松解粘连，消除瘢痕，消除感觉神经末梢所受的刺激和压迫，缓解疼痛。     

45例肘管综合征术后远期随访报告

目的：探讨肘管综合征远期疗效和影响疗效的有关因素。方法：对４５例４８侧肘管综合征术后进行了远期随访。随访时间２１个月～１４年，平均５年２个月。结果：优良３６侧，占７５％（３６／４８）；差４侧，占８．３％（４／４８）。术前病程长短、手内肌萎缩程度和爪形手畸形的存在与否，对远期疗效有明显影响。而年龄、尺侧腕屈肌肌力、术中神经卡压程度和术后早期疗效等，对远期疗效的影响无统计学意义。结论：对肘管综合征应早期诊断和治疗，其远期疗效较好。     

Carpal tunnel syndrome caused by cysticercosis

We present a case of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) due to compression of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel, caused by cysticercosis. Nerve conduction studies revealed severe CTS. Magnetic resonance imaging suggested an inflammatory mass compressing the median nerve in carpal tunnel. The histological diagnosis was consistent with cysticercosis. The case resolved with conservative treatment. Such solitary presentation of entrapment median neuropathy as CTS caused by cysticercosis is extremely rare. To our knowledge, this is the only case of its kind reported in literature till date.     

The “hierarchical” Scratch Collapse Test for identifying multilevel ulnar nerve compression

Background

The Scratch Collapse Test (SCT) is used to assist in the clinical evaluation of patients with ulnar nerve compression. The purpose of this study is to introduce the hierarchical SCT as a physical examination tool for identifying multilevel nerve compression in patients with cubital tunnel syndrome.

Methods

A prospective cohort study (2010–2011) was conducted of patients referred with primary cubital tunnel syndrome. Five ulnar nerve compression sites were evaluated with the SCT. Each site generating a positive SCT was sequentially “frozen out” with a topical anesthetic to allow determination of both primary and secondary ulnar nerve entrapment points. The order or “hierarchy” of compression sites was recorded.

Results

Twenty-five patients (mean age 49.6 ± 12.3 years; 64 % female) were eligible for inclusion. The primary entrapment point was identified as Osborne’s band in 80 % and the cubital tunnel retinaculum in 20 % of patients. Secondary entrapment points were also identified in the following order in all patients: (1) volar antebrachial fascia, (2) Guyon’s canal, and (3) arcade of Struthers.

Conclusion

The SCT is useful in localizing the site of primary compression of the ulnar nerve in patients with cubital tunnel syndrome. It is also sensitive enough to detect secondary compression points when primary sites are sequentially frozen out with a topical anesthetic, termed the hierarchical SCT. The findings of the hierarchical SCT are in keeping with the double crush hypothesis described by Upton and McComas in 1973 and the hypothesis of multilevel nerve compression proposed by Mackinnon and Novak in 1994.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11552-014-9721-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Intraneural ganglion cyst of the ulnar nerve causing cubital tunnel syndrome masquerading a peripheral nerve abscess of a neuritic leprosy

Cubital tunnel syndrome is a common entrapment neuropathy affecting the ulnar nerve. Intraneural ganglion cyst and nerve abscess due to leprosy can cause cubital tunnel syndrome. In this article, we are presenting a case of cubital tunnel syndrome caused due to an intraneural ganglion cyst in a 48-year-old lady. It had produced some diagnostic confusion due to its clinical similarity with nerve abscess. This is the first report of a case of an intraneural ganglion cyst of the ulnar nerve masquerading the diagnosis of a nerve abscess.     

正中神经返支卡压征

目的：介绍正中神经返支卡压征，由于国内未见报道，旨在引起同道们对该病的注意和认识。方法：本组３例，临床特征为拇指对掌功能受限，大鱼际肌萎缩，但手部感觉无障碍。均采用手术治疗。除作神经松解术外，在神经外膜下及周围软组织间注入醋酸泼尼松龙２５ｍｇ。结果：术后随访１～５个月，拇指对掌功能完全恢复。结论：正中神经返支卡压的病因与局部解剖有关，其诊断依据主要为拇指对掌、对指功能障碍，病程长时大鱼际肌可出现萎缩，但手部桡侧半无感觉障碍。     

肘管综合征135例尺神经皮下前移术疗效分析

目的 随访肘管综合征135例尺神经皮下前移术治疗效果.方法 分析2002年2月一2005年12月,135例肘管综合征尺神经皮下前移患者的病情特点及效果.其中男109例,女26例,男女比例为4.2:1.41岁以上占68.1%.以手指活动笨拙就诊15例(占11%);电生理检测均有尺神经肘部段卡压征象.42例合并肘部骨折史.占病因的31%.135例均采用尺神经外膜松解,皮下前移术.结果 术后92例获得2-5年随访.平均2.5年;43例失访.按中华医学会手外科学会上肢功能评定标准,本组优72例,良12例,差8例,优良率为91.3%.结论 尺神经皮下前移术简单、有效,术中应保护前臂内侧皮神经、尺神经血供及分支,并确保尺神经无张力.应重视因肘部骨折和以手部活动笨拙为主要症状的早期诊治.     

The surgical treatment of tarsal tunnel syndrome

Tarsal tunnel syndrome is an entrapment neuropathy involving the posterior tibial nerve within the tarsal canal. Typical symptoms include burning pain and paraesthesia along the medial ankle and plantar aspect of the foot. Although potential causes of tarsal tunnel syndrome include trauma, varicosities, tenosynovitis, space-occupying lesions, and hindfoot deformity, in most cases the aetiology is idiopathic. Surgical release of the posterior tibial nerve and its terminal branches is indicated if symptoms persist despite non-operative treatment. In this article, we discuss the pre-operative evaluation of these patients and illustrate in detail our preferred technique for surgical release.     

Diagnosis and staging of carpal tunnel syndrome: Comparison of magnetic resonance imaging and intra-operative findings

Summary Purpose: In order to determine the reliability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis and staging of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), the most common entrapment neuropathy, the following prospective study has been performed.Methods: We compared clinical and electrophysiological studies in 58 cases of CTS with MRI investigations and confirmed the reliability by exact correspondence with intra-operative findings.Results: Typical MRI characteristics of the median nerve in CTS have been established. There is a significant difference in flattening (p < 0.05), swelling (p < 0.01) and signal intensity (p < 0.05) of the median nerve between early and advanced CTS. Comparison of MRI and intra-operative findings revealed that median nerve compression was diagnosed correctly in 91% of cases. Additional lesions in the carpal tunnel, which are a primary cause of nerve compression, were established by MRI in 25 cases and confirmed by surgery.Conclusion: MRI is a reliable diagnostic tool for assessing as well as staging of CTS. Morphological changes following chronic nerve compression can be visualized. It is particularly useful in cases of suspected lesions within the carpal tunnel as a cause of CTS. The information provided may support the choice of adequate treatment modality.     

骨间前神经卡压征的电生理研究

目的分析总结骨间前神经卡压征的神经电生理特点,探讨其对骨间前神经卡压征的诊断意义。方法对12例骨间前神经卡压征患者进行神经电生理检测：（1）惠侧及对侧骨间前神经运动潜伏期及复合肌肉动作电位波幅：（2）患侧正中神经运动、感觉传导速度及复合肌肉动作电位、感觉动作电位波幅：（3）患侧拇短展肌、指浅屈肌、旋前方肌、拇长屈肌肌电图。结果10例骨间前神经运动潜伏期延长;12例骨间前神经复合肌肉动作电位波幅降低;12例正中神经运动、感觉传导速度及复合肌肉动作电位、感觉动作电位波幅正常：12例旋前方肌、10例拇长屈肌肌电图示神经性损害;12例拇短展肌、指浅屈肌肌电图正常。结论骨间前神经卡压征的神经电生理表现特点为：骨间前神经运动传导潜伏期延长及复合肌肉动作电位波幅降低,其支配肌肉肌电图示神经性损害,而正中神经运动及感觉传导正常．其支配肌肉肌电图正常。骨间前神经卡压征的神经电生理表现可为该病提供客观、准确的诊断与鉴别诊断依据。     

椎孔外颈神经根卡压松解术

目的探讨用神经松解术治疗颈神经根椎孔外卡压综合征。方法对符合手术指征的24例患者经系统的保守治疗无效后行颈神经根探查松解术。对术中发现的相应神经根卡压进行彻底松解。结果除2例术前有明显肌萎缩者未见恢复外,其余22例术后症状均得到明显改善。结论颈神经根椎管外卡压是导致颈肩痛的重要原因之一,手术治疗效果明显。     

Elongated muscle belly of the flexor digitorum superficial causing carpal tunnel syndrome

Background

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is by far the most common entrapment neuropathy (Adams et al. Am J Ind Med 25:527–536, 1994; Cheadle et al. Am J Public Health 84:190–196, 1994; Stevens et al. Neurology 38:134–138, 1988). A combination of described symptoms, clinical findings and electrophysiological testing is used to confirm the diagnosis. Several studies have suggested that in patients with a clinical diagnosis of CTS, the accuracy of nerve sonography is similar to that for electromyography (Chen et al. BMC Med Imaging 11:22, 2011; Guan et al. Neurol Res 33:970–953, 2011; Kele et al. Neurology 61:389–391, 2003; Tai et al. Ultrasound Med Biol 38:1121–1128, 2012). In special cases though, the nerve sonography can reveal the cause of the median entrapment neuropathy (Fumière et al. JBR-BTR 85:1–3, 2002; Kele et al. J Neurosurg 97:471–473, 2002; Kele et al. Neurology 61:389–391, 2003; Zamora et al. J Clin Ultrasound 39:44–47, 2011).

Methods

A 43-year-old farmer was admitted to our department with 1 year of intermittent pain in the left hand and numbness of the thumb, index and middle finger. The pain and the numbness could be reproduced by extension of the wrist and fingers. The electrophysiological testing revealed signs of an entrapment median neuropathy in carpal tunnel.

Results

The high-resolution sonography (18 MHz) revealed signs of entrapment neuropathy with increased cross-sectional area, disturbed echostructure of the nerve and pathological wrist-to-forearm ratio, confirming the results from a similar study (Kele et al. Neurology 61:389–391, 2003). In addition, an elongated muscle belly of the flexor digitorum superficialis in the carpal tunnel could be identified. During the extension of the wrist and fingers, a greater protrusion of the muscle belly could be demonstrated causing compression of the median nerve.

Conclusions

We present a video case report of the sonographic findings of a patient diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome due to an elongated muscle belly of the flexor digitorum superficialis in the carpal tunnel. Our case highlights the importance of nerve sonography in the differential diagnosis of the cause of a carpal tunnel syndrome. With the aid of ultrasonography, it is possible to obtain very important information concerning different aspects of this case. First, in showing the presence of the elongated muscle belly of the flexor digitorum superficialis, the cause of the symptoms could be explained. Second, it was possible through the ultrasound study to explain the atypical clinical appearance in this case, demonstrating the compression neuropathy only after extension of the wrist and fingers. There have been no previous reports in which authors described an elongated muscle belly as cause of a CTS. Third, and perhaps most important, ultrasonography had a direct influence on our selection of therapeutical strategy and approach. As a result, we recommended in this patient a surgical therapy to completely solve the problem, but the patient declined this option and preferred a conservative therapy with a hand orthosis to prevent wrist extension. In conclusion we recommend ultrasonography as a very useful method in the diagnostic evaluation of carpal tunnel syndrome. We have clearly demonstrated that ultrasonography can be used to discover the cause of median nerve compression, especially in cases with an atypical clinical presentation.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11552-012-9435-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

尺神经深支卡压的解剖学及临床意义

目的：探讨尺神经深支卡压的病因及诊治方法：方法：显微镜下观测３０例成人手的尺神经深支。封闭及手术治疗９例患者。结果：尺神经深支分４段。封闭（４例）和手术（７例０各治愈同１例、５例。结论：腕尺管段尺神经深支最易受损,在其它部位也会被止准确无误。本病应尽早手术。     

Potential Entrapment of an Accessory Superficial Peroneal Sensory Nerve at the Lateral Malleolus: A Cadaveric Case Report and Review of the Literature

The superficial peroneal nerve presents great anatomic variability regarding its emergence from the crural fascia, course, branching pattern, and distribution area. Entrapment neuropathy of the superficial peroneal nerve has been documented in the published data, resulting in pain and paresthesia over the dorsum of the foot. We report a case of a female cadaver in which an accessory superficial peroneal sensory nerve was encountered. The nerve originated from the main superficial peroneal nerve trunk, proximal to the superficial peroneal nerve emergence from the crural fascia, and followed a subfascial course. After fascial penetration, the supernumerary nerve was distributed to the skin of the proximal dorsum of the foot and lateral malleolar area. A potential entrapment site of the nerve was observed at the lateral malleolar area, because the accessory nerve traveled through a fascial tunnel while perforating the crural fascia, and presented with distinct post-stenotic enlargement at its exit point. The likely presence of such a very rare variant and its potential entrapment is essential for the physician and surgeon to establish a correct diagnosis and avoid complications during procedures to the foot and ankle region.     

四边孔综合征的诊断治疗

目的 探讨并深入了解四边孔综合征的卡压特点、临床表现和治疗效果。方法 对1999年5月－2000年6月收治的4例四边孔综合征患者的病因、症状、体征和处理方法进行分析。其中前路手术1例,后路手术2例,局部封闭治疗1例。结果 4例均获5－12个月随访,手术治疗的有2例腋神经功能恢复正常,1例部分恢复;保守治疗1例症状无明显缓解。结论 四边孔综合征主要表现为三角肌瘫痪和肩外侧感觉障碍,一经确诊,应早期行神经探查松解术。     

程序化操作在尺神经皮下前置术中的应用

目的 探讨程序化手术操作在尺神经皮下前置术中的应用效果.方法 我院自2017年1月至2019年12月采用尺神经松解皮下前置术治疗肘管综合征病人34例.所有病人均采用程序化操作处理前臂内侧皮神经、Struthers弓、内侧肌间隔、Osborne韧带、尺侧腕屈肌两头、指浅屈肌筋膜、尺神经伴行血管、尺侧屈腕肌肌支及关节支、屈...