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Sensory electroneurographic parameters and clinical recovery of sensibility in sutured human nerves

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Summary

A total of 37 patients with traumatic transection of median or ulnar nerves at the wrist (total 41 nerves) were examined clinically and electrophysiologically 4–59 months after primary or secondary suture or grafting. There was a significant increase of cumulative amplitude with the time after suture, whereas maximum sensory nerve conduction velocity and maximum amplitude of nerve action potentials did not reveal such a correlation. The recovery of two-point discrimination, vibration threshold and sensibility scored according to the scale of Nicholson and Seddon were also not related to the passage of time after operation. Though there were significant correlations between cumulative amplitude and both two-point discrimination and recovery of sensibility, electrophysiological parameters were shown to be inadequate predictors of clinical recovery.

Zusammenfassung

37 Patienten, 41 Nerven, bei denen wegen traumatischer Läsionen des N. medianus oder des N. ulnaris in Höhe des Handgelenkes eine Primär- oder Sekundärnaht durchgeführt wurde oder die Interposition eines Hautnervs nötig war, wurden 4–59 Monate nach Operation klinisch und elektrophysiologisch nachuntersucht.

Die kumulative Amplitude nahm signifikant mit der Dauer nach Operation zu, was auf die zunehmende Anzahl regenerierter myelinisierter Nervenfasern zurückgeführt wurde. Während die Meßwerte der anderen elektrophysiologischen sensiblen Parameter keine signifikanten Änderungen während des postoperativen Verlaufs erkennen ließen. Zwischen den untersuchten Parametern — zwei-Punkt-Diskrimination, Vibrationsschwelle und die Erholung der Sensibilität, klassifiziert nach dem Schema von Nicholson und Seddon (1957) — und der Dauer nach Operation war ebenfalls kein Zusammenhang nachweisbar.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, University of Basle, Switzerland

    W. Tackmann

  2. Department of Surgery of the Hand and Peripheral Nerves, University of Basle, Switzerland

    J. Brennwald & H. Nigst

Authors
  1. W. Tackmann
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  2. J. Brennwald
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  3. H. Nigst
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Dedicated to Professor H. J. Lehmann on the occasion of his 60th birthday

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Tackmann, W., Brennwald, J. & Nigst, H. Sensory electroneurographic parameters and clinical recovery of sensibility in sutured human nerves. J Neurol 229, 195–206 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00313743

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00313743

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