الفهرس | Only 14 pages are availabe for public view |
Abstract Peripheral nerve injuries are commonly encountered in the clinical practice. They are a major cause of severe and permanent loss of hand function. Poor recovery may cause a marked reduction in sensibility, decreased muscle strength, pain and cold intolerance, resulting in substantial functional lossess. Peripheral nerve injuries have a wide variety of causes including penetrating injuries, crush, traction, ischemia and less commonly may be due to thermal, electric shock, radiation, percussion and vibration. Though clinical evaluation and electrophysiological studies remain a mainstay in the evaluation of peripheral nerve injuries, US is playing complementary and growing roles in the overall clinical workup. While electrophysiological studies provide important diagnostic data in evaluating distal muscle re-innervation and the degree of nerve dysfunction, they are limited in their ability to identify morphological changes associated with a particular type of nerve injury. US can reveal the discontinuity of the nerve, perilesional scar tissue, and presence of neuroma. Electrophysiology is still the “gold standard” for nerve assessment. However, US has already been established as an effective tool in the diagnosis and evaluation of peripheral nerve injuries. |