Radial nerve injuries from gunshot wounds and other trauma: comparison of electrodiagnostic findings

OBJECTIVE: To identify the difference and similarity of radial nerve injury in gunshot wounds compared to blunt trauma with regard to level of injury, completeness of injury, and other associated nerve injury. DESIGN: This study was a retrospective review of electrophysiologic data performed in an electromyographic laboratory of a county hospital. A total of 67 consecutive patients had gunshot wounds or other trauma to the radial nerve during a 7-yr period (1992-1998). Forty patients met the criteria for this study. The radial nerve injury was categorized according to the level of involvement and completeness of injury. The relationship between the etiology, level of injury, completeness of injury, and other associated nerve injury was analyzed via Fisher's exact test. RESULT: There was no difference in the level of radial nerve injury, completeness of nerve injury, and associated nerve involvement between gunshot wound cases and blunt trauma cases. CONCLUSION: In contrast to the upper and lower extremity traumatic plexopathy in which differences were seen, our study showed that gunshot wound-induced radial nerve injury is similar to injury induced by other trauma in the factors measured.