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Ulnar nerve subluxation and dislocation: a review of the literature

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Abstract

The pathogenesis of ulnar nerve subluxation and dislocation is widely debated. Upon elbow flexion, the ulnar nerve slips out of the groove for the ulnar nerve, relocates medial or anterior to the medial epicondyle, and returns to its correct anatomical position upon extension. This chronic condition can cause neuritis or neuropathy; however, it has also been suggested that it protects against neuropathy by reducing tension along the nerve. This article reviews the extant literature with the aim of bringing knowledge of the topic into perspective and standardizing terminology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomical Sciences, St. George’s University School of Medicine, St. George’s, Grenada

    Stephen J. Bordes Jr., Skyler Jenkins, Katrina Bang & Marios Loukas

  2. Department of Neurosurgery, Adnan Menderes University School of Medicine, Aydin, Turkey

    Mehmet Turgut

  3. Department of Histology and Embryology, Adnan Menderes University Health Sciences Institute, Aydin, Turkey

    Mehmet Turgut

  4. Department of Neurosurgery, Tulane Center for Clinical Neurosciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, 131 S. Robertson St. Suite 1300, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA

    Joe Iwanaga, Aaron S. Dumont & R. Shane Tubbs

  5. Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA

    Robert J. Spinner

  6. Department of Structural & Cellular Biology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA

    R. Shane Tubbs

  7. Department of Neurosurgery and Ochsner Neuroscience Institute, Ochsner Health System, New Orleans, LA, USA

    R. Shane Tubbs

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  1. Stephen J. Bordes Jr.
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The protocol of the study did not require approval by the ethical committees or informed consent. The study followed the Declaration of Helsinki (64th WMA General Assembly, Fortaleza, Brazil, October 2013).

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Bordes, S.J., Jenkins, S., Bang, K. et al. Ulnar nerve subluxation and dislocation: a review of the literature. Neurosurg Rev 44, 793–798 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10143-020-01286-3

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