肘管综合征的解剖和病因学探讨

[目的]探讨肘管综合征的解剖特点和发病原因。[方法]对65例肘管综合征患者的临床资料和术中所见,以及其中25例患者术前肌电图检查的结果进行综合研究分析。[结果]术中见60例患者存在肘管弓状韧带的肥厚增生,卡压磨损尺神经导致炎性病变;术前肌电图检查发现25例患者的尺神经传导速度均减慢,平均传导速度为27.97m/s;运动反应波幅降低,平均电压为1.95mv;潜伏期延长,平均时间为5.41ms;65例肘管综合征患者,继发于肘部创伤25例,慢性劳损15例,慢性骨关节炎14例,占位病变5例,先天异常有6例。[结论]肘部的创伤及慢性劳损可以导致肘管弓状韧带出现肥厚增生,引起尺神经卡压磨损,这是肘管综合征最常见的病因;其他病因还包括慢性骨关节炎,占位病变和先天异常;尺神经可被机械性卡压和磨损,出现慢性缺血缺氧,导致肘管综合征的发生;详细的体格检查和术前的肌电图检查是诊断肘管综合征的主要手段,在诊断时应注意该病与其他部位迟发性尺神经麻痹的鉴别。     

RESULTS OF OPEN CARPAL TUNNEL RELEASE: A COMPREHENSIVE,RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 188 HANDS

Background : Many recent reports of the results of decompression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel have concentrated on only one aspect of recovery (numbness, grip etc.), and there are no reports of a comprehensive study of outcome. The aim of the present study was to review comprehensively the results of the direct visualization method of decompression of the carpal tunnel and to compare them with the published results of endoscopic release. Methods : Patients' perceptions of the severity of pain, numbness and paraesthesiae due to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), before and after open carpal tunnel release (CTR) in 188 hands were reviewed retrospectively at a minimum time of follow-up of 18 months. Motor and sensory testing, provocation testing and measurement of scar tenderness in 135 hands were performed at a clinical review. Results : Subjective results showed that 70% experienced a reduction in the severity of pain after CTR, 78% of hands experienced a reduction in the severity of paraesthesiae and 77% experienced a reduction in the severity of numbness. A total of 49% had improvements in all three symptoms after CTR. At the clinical review, sensory testing revealed that 59% of hands had normal or slightly diminished light touch, 35% had normal static two-point discrimination and 61% had normal dynamic two-point discrimination. Results for Tinel's test, Phalen's test and pressure provocation testing were positive in 10% of hands. There was no scar tenderness in 38%, no persisting thenar atrophy in 90%. Normal grip strength was found in 93% and 91% had normal pinch strength. Conclusions : It was concluded that open carpal tunnel release remains a safe and reliable treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome. The very low incidence of serious complications from the open technique of CTR, when compared with endoscopic CTR as published by different authors in the literature, and the comparable clinical results, appears to make the open technique a safer and preferable option. However, a properly controlled trial of both techniques is necessary to compare them.     

Labyrinth Exploration, Emotional Reactivity, and Conditioned Fear in Young Roman/Verh Inbred Rats

An inbreeding program has been carried out with the Swiss sublines of Roman high- and low-avoidance rats since 1993. The present study reports the first experiments conducted with young animals of those inbred strains (RHA-I/Verh and RLA-I/Verh, respectively) from the sixth and seventh inbreeding generations. The results confirmed expected behavioral profiles. Compared to the RHA-I/Verh strain, RLA-I/Verh rats showed decreased entries into the illuminated central arena of an hexagonal tunnel maze, as well as decreased spontaneous locomotor activity and increased defecations, in two independent experiments. Young RLA-I/Verh females explored less than did their RHA-I/Verh counterparts during session 1 of a conditioned-fear experiment preceding shock administration, and in session 2 (conducted 24 h after the application of three footshocks), they showed greater conditioned behavioral inhibition (i.e., reduced amount of rearing), as well as higher defecation scores, than did RHA-I/Verh females.Karl Bättig tragically and unexpectedly died on December 27, 1996     

Sparing of the flexor carpi ulnaris in ulnar neuropathy at the elbow

A common misconception attributes sparing of the flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) in ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE) to its innervating branch arising "at or above the elbow." We examined the relationship of FCU branches to the medial epicondyle (ME) and humeroulnar aponeurotic arcade (HUA) in 30 cadaver elbows. In only three did the first FCU branch arise at or proximal to the ME. In 36 UNE cases with fibrillations in the first dorsal interosseous, the FCU was normal in 10, mildly abnormal in 11, and severely abnormal in 15. FCU involvement correlated with the severity of the neuropathy and with whether compression was retroepicondylar or at the HUA. We conclude that sparing of the FCU in UNE is unrelated to the level of origin of its innervating branch, but rather is related to the internal neural topography and to the severity and level of compression.     

MRI of bilateral bipartite hamulus: a case report

Normal skeletal variants are a common occurrence in clinical practice and may lead to misinterpretation. As part of a case control study investigating the carpal tunnel, our asymptomatic and voluntary participant underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of both wrists from the metacarpal bases to the distal radiocarpal joint. The imaging techniques included spin echo (SE), turbo spin echo (TSE) and fast field echo (FFE) sequences using 4 mm-slice thickness. As an incidental finding bipartite hamulus was detected bilaterally. The anomaly was evident in both hamuli with similar MRI characteristics. The congenital origin was further supported by the absence of trauma or surgery to the wrists. In this case report the authors discuss the anatomical variant, bilateral bipartite hook of the hamate, and demonstrate the reliability of contiguous slices of MR axial slices in displaying an anatomical variant of the carpus. This normal variant of the hamate is not commonly encountered in MR imaging of the wrist and can be misinterpreted as fracture or post-traumatic sequelae. Images of the normal hamulus are presented for comparison.     

腕管综合征患者的临床与神经电生理研究

目的：观察神经电生理检测对腕管综合征(CTS)的诊断价值。方法：对腕管综合征的临床特征及病因进行了分析，并作神经传导速度(NCV)和肌电图检测和分析。结果：40条患病神经中8条正中神经诱发波形消失，32条正中神经感觉潜伏期延长、波幅降低或(和)感觉神经传导速度减慢。25例患者伴有30条正中神经运动末梢潜伏期延长或(和)动作电位波幅降低。22块正中神经支配肌有去神经电位。结论：神经电生理检查在腕管综合征的诊断与鉴别诊断中有重要意义。     

The relationship of VEGF and PGE2 expression to extracellular matrix remodelling of the tenosynovium in the carpal tunnel syndrome

Tenosynovial thickening within the confined space of the carpal tunnel is thought to be the cause of the carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). However, little is known about the pathological mechanism of tenosynovial thickening. In this study, the role of prostaglandin E(2) (PGE(2)) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (two representative molecules that can induce oedema by increasing vascular permeability) was analysed in CTS by using immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorptive assay (ELISA). Expression of these molecules was compared with the patients' clinical histories and a temporary increase in production of these molecules was found in cells within the vessels and synovial lining during the intermediate phase of the syndrome when the histology of the tenosynovium changes from oedematous to fibrotic. Statistical analysis clearly demonstrated that there is a close correlation between the expression of PGE(2) and VEGF. Furthermore, immunohistochemical analysis with anti-proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) revealed that the area with distinct VEGF expression closely matched the area where endothelial cells, vascular smooth muscle cells, and synovial lining cells proliferate. In contrast, despite marked alteration in the extracellular matrix (ECM) component of the tenosynovium, the fibroblasts responsible for most ECM framework production do not proliferate during any phase of CTS. Histological analysis demonstrated that angiogenesis takes place only during the intermediate phase. Since clusters of capillaries and arterioles are often surrounded by type III collagen-rich, disorganized, degenerate connective tissue, which contains fewer fibroblasts than normal, angiogenesis appears to take place as a part of a regenerative reaction that results in fibrosis. These findings strongly indicate that both PGE(2) and VEGF are expressed in the tenosynovium in CTS during the intermediate phase and induce the histological changes seen in the tenosynovium.     

Ultrasonographic evaluation of age-related changes in bowing of the flexor retinaculum

The effects of age, gender, and hand dominance on bowing of the flexor retinaculum, used in diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome, were analyzed. Forty men aged 23–58 years old (39.7±11.2) and 40 women aged 20–57 years old (39.6±11.3) were the normal subjects. A total of 160 wrists was examined with a linear array transducer. Bowing of the flexor retinaculum was measured as the distance from a line drawn between the trapezium and the hamate to the palmar apex of the outer surface of the flexor retinaculum. It was 0.5–3.7 mm (2.00±0.64) for all hands, 0.6–3.7 mm (2.06±0.62) for men, 0.5–3.4 mm (1.96±0.67) for women, 0.5–3.4 mm (1.00±0.64) for dominant, and 0.6–3.7 mm (2.03±0.65) for nondominant hands. There was no difference between genders or dominant vs nondominant hands regarding this parameter. However, it was highly correlated with age (r=0.59, p<0.0001). In conclusion, bowing of the flexor retinaculum measurements should be carefully compared with the standardized values when diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome.     

Arteriovenous fistula and nerve conduction velocity in patients on hemodialysis: statistical and electrographic findings

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible influence of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) on nerve conduction velocity in patients on intermittent hemodialysis and its relevance to the pathogenesis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The data on 22 patients showed no statistically significant differences in the electrographic parameters considered. This suggests that AVF by the end-to-end method plays no significant part in the alteration of nerve conduction. Possibly radial steal phenomena, which occur with other types of AVF, are at least partly responsible for the reported cases of CTS.

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Sommario Scopo di questo studio è stato indagare l'eventuale influenza della fistola arterovenosa (FAV) sulla velocità di conduzione nervosa in pazienti in trattamento emodialitico periodico, per le sue pssibili implicazioni nella patogenesi della sindrome del tunnel carpale (CTS). Vengono presentati i dati relativi a 22 pazienti. I risultati non hanno evidenziato differenze statisticamente significative dei parametri elettrografici considerati.Pertanto i nostri dati suggeriscono che la FAV (eseguita secondo la tecnica termino-terminale) non riveste un ruolo significativo nell'alterazione della conduzione nervosa. È possibile che fenomeni di furto nel territorio dell'arteria radiale, che si verificano con FAV eseguite con altra modalità, siano, almeno in parte, responsabili dei casi di CTS segnalati nella letteratura al riguardo.