Ulnar neuropathy presents as a complication in 5% to 10% of total elbow replacements, but subsequent ulnar neurolysis is rarely performed. Little information is available on the surgical management of persistent ulnar neuropathy after elbow replacement. We describe our experience with the surgical management of this problem. Of 1607 total elbow replacements performed at our institution between January 1969 and December 2004, eight patients (0.5%) had a further operation for persistent or progressive ulnar neuropathy. At a mean follow-up of 9.2 years (3.1 to 21.7) six were clinically improved and satisfied with their outcome, although, only four had complete recovery. When transposition was performed on a previously untransposed nerve the rate of recovery was 75%, but this was reduced to 25% if the nerve had been transposed at the time of the replacement

Nerve palsy occurring after elective primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a devastating complication because of its effect on motor strength, walking ability, potential for pain, and unexpected nature. In general, the nerve distribution involved is the peroneal branch of the sciatic nerve, and the level of involvement is usually mixed motor and sensory. Prior publications have associated limb lengthening, dysplasia and use of the posterior approach to be associated with a higher incidence of nerve palsy. In the literature, the incidence of sciatic nerve palsy is estimated to be 0.2 to 1.9%. We examined the rate of sciatic nerve palsy after THA performed by the joint replacement service at Hospital for Special Surgery between the years 1998–2013. Each case was matched with 2 controls that underwent THA and did not develop postoperative neuropathy. Controls were matched by surgical date having been within 7 days of their matched case's surgery date. Patient and surgical variables were reviewed using data from patient charts and the institution's total joint replacement registry. A multivariable logistic regression model was created to identify potential risk factors for neuropathy following THA while adjusting for potential confounders. We found that, of 39,056 primary THA cases, there were 81 cases of sciatic nerve palsy, giving an incidence of 0.21%. The factors with the greatest odds ratios for nerve palsy were: history of smoking (OR=3.45); history of spinal stenosis (OR=4.45), and time of day of 1PM or later (OR=3.98). We did not find limb lengthening, dysplasia, or type of fixation to be associated with nerve palsy. In conclusion, post-surgical neuropathy has a low incidence after primary THA, but at our institution, was associated with several factors. Spine-related comorbidities, such as spinal stenosis and lumbar spine disease, and smoking history should be closely monitored to inform the patient and surgeon for the potential increased risk of postoperative neuropathy following THA

Nerve palsy occurring after elective primary total hip arthroplasty is a devastating complication because of its effect on motor strength, walking ability, potential for pain, and unexpected nature. In general, the nerve distribution involved is the peroneal branch of the sciatic nerve, and the level of involvement is usually mixed motor and sensory. Prior publications have associated limb lengthening, dysplasia and use of the posterior approach to be associated with a higher incidence of nerve palsy. In the literature, the incidence of sciatic nerve palsy is estimated to be 0.2–1.9%. We examined the rate of sciatic nerve palsy after THA performed by the joint replacement service at Hospital for Special Surgery between the years 1998 and 2013. Each case was matched with 2 controls that underwent THA and did not develop post-operative neuropathy. Controls were matched by surgical date having been within 7 days of their matched case's surgery date. Patient and surgical variables were reviewed using data from patient charts and the institution's total joint replacement registry. A multivariable logistic regression model was created to identify potential risk factors for neuropathy following THA while adjusting for potential confounders. We found that, of 39,056 primary THA cases, there were 81 cases of sciatic nerve palsy, giving an incidence of 0.21%. The factors with the greatest odds ratios for nerve palsy were: history of smoking (OR=3.45); history of spinal stenosis (OR=4.45), and time of day of 1PM or later (OR=3.98). We did not find limb lengthening, dysplasia, or type of fixation to be associated with nerve palsy. In conclusion, post-surgical neuropathy has a low incidence after primary THA, but at our institution, was associated with several factors. Spine-related comorbidities, such as spinal stenosis and lumbar spine disease, and smoking history should be closely monitored to inform the patient and surgeon for the potential increased risk of post-operative neuropathy following THA

Traditional risk factors for post-operative neuropathy include learning curve of surgical approach, DDH, and significant leg lengthening (>1 inch). Despite these risk factors, the most common scenario of a neuropathy is in a routine THA, by an experienced surgeon, for osteoarthritis, with no leg lengthening. Post-operative hematoma can lead to nerve compression, albeit rarely. The usual clinical presentation is of an acute event, with a previously intact nerve, sometime within the first days of surgery. Once diagnosed, immediate surgical decompression should be performed. Sciatic neuropathy is the most common, regardless of surgical approach, but the posterior approach poses the highest risk. Routine gluteus maximus tendon release may help to reduce the risk. When seen in the PACU, our approach is to immediately perform CT imaging to evaluate nerve integrity or to check on acetabular screw position. If no underlying cause is identified, the patient will be managed conservatively with foot orthotics and monitored for recovery. Femoral nerve palsy (FNP) can result in significant initial disability. Fortunately most patients recover function (although it can take over 18 months). In the early post-operative period it is often diagnosed after a patient complains of the leg giving away while attempting to walk. A knee brace will assist the patient with mobilization while the nerve recovers. The highest incidence of FNP is described for the direct lateral approach. Superior gluteal nerve (SGN) palsy is related to the direct lateral approach and may be avoided if the gluteus medius split is made within the safe zone (<5 centimeters from the tip of the greater trochanter). While early post-operative limp is common after the direct lateral approach, the true reported incidence of SGN palsy is low. Few studies showed that the persistent positive Trendelenburg test and limp is not exclusively related to the SGN damage and therefore the clinical effect of the SGN damage remains controversial. Lateral femoral cutaneous nerve can be affected during the direct anterior hip approach. One study suggests the presence of peri-incisional numbness in over 80% of patients. This is akin to numbness seen lateral to the incision after TKA. The incidence of meralgia paresthetica is extremely low (<1%)

Hip dysplasia complicating the hereditary motor and sensory neuropathies is not widely recognised. We describe four patients in whom the neuropathy affected the proximal muscles and we suggest that hereditary motor and sensory neuropathies may be responsible for the failure of the initial treatment of some neonatal dislocated hips

Isolated neuropathy of the cutaneous branch of the radial nerve is a rarely recognised condition. Five cases were described in 1932 by Wartenberg, who suggested the name cheiralgia paraesthetica. The condition has also been described as Wartenberg's disease. Twelve cases of isolated neuropathy of the cutaneous branch of the radial nerve are described, the literature is reviewed and the clinical picture outlined. In six of the cases the condition subsided without treatment, in two there was a good response to local injection of hydrocortisone, and in four cases a satisfactory result followed resection of the nerve. The course and distribution of the superficial branch of the radial nerve are described. The need to avoid the nerve during operations around the wrist is stressed

Iliacus haematoma is a relatively rare condition, which may cause a local compressive neuropathy. It is usually diagnosed in adults with haemophilia or those on anticoagulation treatment and may occur after trauma. We present the case of a healthy 15-year-old boy with a femoral neuropathy due to an iliacus haematoma which resolved following conservative treatment

The anatomy of the cubital tunnel and its relationship to ulnar nerve compression is not well documented. In 27 cadaver elbows the proximal edge of the roof of the cubital tunnel was formed by a fibrous band that we call the cubital tunnel retinaculum (CTR). The band is about 4 mm wide, extending from the medial epicondyle to the olecranon, and perpendicular to the flexor carpi ulnaris aponeurosis. Variations in the CTR were classified into four types. In type 0 (n = 1) the CTR was absent. In type Ia (n = 17), the retinaculum was lax in extension and taut in full flexion. In type Ib (n = 6) it was tight in positions short of full flexion (90 degrees to 120 degrees). In type II (n = 3) it was replaced by a muscle, the anconeus epitrochlearis. The CTR appears to be a remnant of the anconeus epitrochlearis muscle and its function is to hold the ulnar nerve in position. Variations in the anatomy of the CTR may explain certain types of ulnar neuropathy. Its absence (type 0 CTR) permits ulnar nerve displacement. Type Ia is normal and does not cause ulnar neuropathy. Type Ib can cause dynamic nerve compression with elbow flexion. Type II may be associated with static compression due to the bulk of the anconeus epitrochlearis muscle

We performed a new operation for ulnar neuropathy caused by recurrent dislocation at the medial epicondyle. There were eleven patients, eight men and three women, with an average age of 52 years (24–74 years) at the time of surgery. The mean duration of symptoms was 23 months. The severity of the symptoms was McGowan grade 1 in five patients, grade 2 in five patients, and grade 3 in one patient. The operation consisted of ulnar groove plasty proximal to the cubital tunnel. The ulnar nerve was replaced into this reconstructed groove. The nerve was confirmed to be stable throughout the full range of elbow motion. The cubital tunnel retinaculum of all patients was hypoplastic and the dislocated portion of the ulnar nerves was hard. One nerve showed severe adhesion around the dislocation site. One patient had a pseudo-neuroma. All patients were relieved of discomfort, and motor and sensory function were recovered. The ulnar nerve in the groove showed neither irritation nor adhesion. In patients with grade 1, symptoms or numbness of the fingers was relieved within three months of the operation. Sensory disturbances in patients with grade 2 symptoms also improved within six months. Grade 2 patients with intrinsic muscle weakness regained normal muscular power, and these with patients with intrinsic muscle atrophy had showed increasing muscular power. The patient with grade 3 symptomes recovered normal sensation after 1 year; clawing of the ring and little fin-gers recovered, and the muscle volume was increased. Friction ulnar neuropathy has been treated traditionally by anterior transpositon or medial epicondylectomy. The ulnar nerve may become entrapped in scar tissue after these operations. We believe that this anatomical position is optimum for the nerve and that this procedure is essential for treatment of friction neuropathy

The outcome of surgery in patients with medial epicondylitis of the elbow is less favourable in those with co-existent symptoms from the ulnar nerve. We wanted to know whether we could successfully treat such patients by using musculofascial lengthening of the flexor-pronator origin with simultaneous deep transposition of the ulnar nerve. We retrospectively reviewed 19 patients who were treated in this way. Seven had grade I and 12 had grade IIa ulnar neuropathy. At a mean follow-up of 38 months (24 to 48), the mean visual analogue scale pain scores improved from 3.7 to 0.3 at rest, from 6.6 to 2.1 with activities of daily living, and from 7.9 to 2.3 at work or sports, and the mean disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand scores improved from 42.2 to 23.5. These results suggest that this technique can be effective in treating patients with medial epicondylitis and coexistent ulnar nerve symptoms

1. Three cases of hereditary sensory neuropathy are reported. 2. Neuropathic destruction of joints and chronic infected ulcers are the primary problems of management. 3. This entity must be considered in the differential diagnosis of trophic ulcerations of the extremities

Nineteen patients with chronic pain due to a traumatic peripheral neuropathy were treated by means of implanted nerve stimulation. In 11 (58%) pain was completely relieved and in four (21%) it was reduced sufficiently to discontinue analgesics. The average follow-up was 11.5 months. The technique is described and the failures discussed. The necessity for implanting the stimulator proximally is emphasised

The clinical details of six patients who developed spontaneous dislocations in the foot or ankle are presented. All were shown to have diabetic neuropathy. This previously unreported condition can occur with a short history of diabetes. Some cases can be managed without operation, though arthrodesis probably offers the best chance of obtaining a stable foot of satisfactory shape

We carried out a prospective randomised study comparing medial epicondylectomy with anterior transposition for the treatment of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow. The mean follow-up period was 4.5 years and we assessed the patients neurologically and orthopaedically. Neither procedure appeared to have a significant effect on elbow function. Our study showed better results after medial epicondylectomy; in particular patient satisfaction was higher than after ulnar nerve transposition. There were no significant differences in motor power or nerve-conduction rates and sensory fibres appeared to be more vulnerable to devascularisation

A six-year-old girl with congenital sensory neuropathy with anhidrosis (CSNA) presented with bilateral hip dysplasia and subluxation on the right side. Conservative treatment of the hips by closed reduction and a plaster cast was unsuccessful. When aged seven years the patient had an intertrochanteric varus rotation osteotomy on the right side, but subluxation was again evident after five months. A Salter-type pelvic osteotomy was carried out followed by immobilisation, but one year later subluxation was present in the right hip and dislocation in the left. At the age of nine years, the right femoral head resembled a Charcot joint, although walking ability was preserved. In patients with CSNA, surgery may not always be advisable

We operated on 16 patients for ulnar neuropathy associated with osteoarthritis of the elbow. They were all male manual workers, with an average age of 51 years at the time of surgery. The severity of the symptoms was McGowan grade 1 in five patients, grade 2 in nine and grade 3 in two. The mean follow-up was 36 months. The operation consists of resecting the osteophytes around the postcondylar groove. The shallow and narrow cubital tunnel is made deep and wide and the ulnar nerve is replaced with its surrounding soft tissues in the enlarged groove. All patients were relieved of discomfort and all showed some improvement or full recovery of motor and sensory function. The ulnar nerve showed no evidence of irritation or adhesion. This procedure also allows early movement of the elbow after operation, because the subcutaneous tissues and muscles have not been detached

The aim of the present investigation is to study the status of the blood-nerve barrier in the carpal tunnel syndrome and cubital tunnel syndrome using gadolinium enhanced MRI. The subjects were 68 patients (92 hands) with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome and 21 patients (23 elbows) with cubital tunnel syndrome. The MRI equipment used was a 0.3-T permanent magnet. Using the SE method, T1-weighted axial images were obtained. Then, we intravenously injected gadolinium for enhanced images. We studied the relationship between nerve enhancement and the symptoms of the patients. Out of 92 hands with carpal tunnel syndrome, 74 hands (80%) showed enhancement of the median nerve. The patients had 58 hands classified as Grade I (sensory disturbance only) out of which 44 hands (76%) showed nerve enhancement , as did 25 out of 29 hands (86%) classified as Grade II (I + thenar muscle atrophy) and all 5 hands (100%) classified as Grade III (II + disturbance of opposition). Enhancement was more prominent in the patients with thenar muscle atrophy. All 23 elbows with cubital tunnel syndrome revealed enhancement of the ulnar nerve. Two elbows were categorized as grade I (sensory disturbance only), 12 as grade II (I + 1’st inter-osseus muscle atrophy), and 9 as grade III (II + claw finger deformity). In general, capillaries exist inside the endoneurial spaces of peripheral nerves. Intraneural homeostasis is maintained by the perineurium as a diffusion barrier and by the blood-nerve barrier existing in the endothelium. MRI could demonstrate intraneural enhancement at the site of nerve entrapment where intraneural edema resulted from an increase in the vascular permeability of the endoneurium. We conclude that gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging can detect morphological and functional changes of peripheral nerve in patients with entrapment neuropathy

1. Paralysis of the femoral nerve secondary to haemorrhage of the iliopsoas muscle is described. 2. Four cases are presented. None of the patients had haemophilia, but one was receiving anticoagulant treatment–the second reported case in the literature. Only one case in a non-haemophiliac not receiving anticoagulants has been described previously. We have added three more such cases. 3. This condition can usually be managed conservatively because recovery can be expected. We believe that operation is indicated only if the lesion progresses and the symptoms and signs increase. 4. These cases underline the importance of assessing the femoral nerve in patients with hip symptoms after trauma. Iliopsoas haemorrhage should be suspected as the cause of femoral nerve neuropathy in cases of trauma to the back in adolescents or in those receiving anticoagulants

Introduction The role of tendon transfer in progressive hereditary motor sensory neuropathy (CMT) is controversial. This paper examines a large single surgeon cohort and reviews the surgical outcome of tendon transfers against a large group of CMT patients represented by the Australian CMT Health Survey 2001. Methods A retrospective review was carried out in 29 patients (57 feet) with CMT, managed surgically by a single author (GW). Functional outcomes were measured using standard tools such as SF-36, AOFAS ankle hindfoot clinical rating scale, and a clinical review including a specially designed questionairre. Quality of life and functional outcome has been compared with the Australian CMT Health Survey 2001 in 324 patients. Twenty-nine patients were managed with tendon transfers, typically by flexor to extensor transfer of toes, combined with peroneus longus release and transfer, and tibialis posterior transfer. Results The Levitt classification rated 80% of patients as having good-excellent outcomes. Ninety-two percent of patients reported an improvement overall with surgery, specifically 52% reported improvement in pain, 85% felt their gait had benefited, and 74% reported an improvement in the appearance of their foot deformity, as a direct result of their surgery. All patients reviewed would recommend similar surgery to others, and 92% of those surveyed wished they had their surgery much earlier (months to years). The AOFAS clinical rating system for ankle-hindfoot showed an average improvement of 36 points out of 100. In general, patients treated by this method were improved when considered against a larger cohort both in quality of life measures and functional outcome. This combination was not always successful, and a small number of disappointed patients were identified. Conclusions Tendon transfers in the younger patient has a role in the treatment of flexible deformities in CMT, and improving quality of life. This paper shows that patients benefit at an earlier stage of their disease by tendon transfers. Indications for tendon transfers have been refined by this study and lessons learned recognised

Aims: Better understanding of the influence of body mass to plantar peak pressure as a main biomechanical risk factor for ulcerations in the diabetic foot. To predict the effect of weight change on peak pressure. Methods: In-shoe peak pressure measurement (PEDAR, Novel) are performed in 5 patients with diabetic neuropathy and 5 controls: all wearing the same kind of ready made shoes with ready made standard fitting insoles of cork. Each subject is measured in 3 modes of weight simulation: normal weight, 20 kg weight increase (waistcoat with weight pieces) and 20 kg weight release by a movable overhead suspension covering a 6m walkway. Pace is selected individually after some pre-test walking to be comfortable in all 3 weight modes. For data analysis the plantar area of the foot is divided into 6 regions, particularly metatarsal region and heel. Results: No significant difference between diabetics and controls is found. In the most threatened regions (metatarsals and heel) peak pressure increases and decreases linearly with weight: A simulated weight change ± 20 kg increases/ decreases metatarsal peak pressure by ± 6.4 N/cm2. The corresponding figure for the heel region is ± 2.6 N/cm2. Conclusions: Weight increase or weight loss in the individual patient has at least in the metatarsal and heel region a significant effect to the plantar peak pressure. The linear relationship allows for a simple method of predicting the effect of weight change to peak pressure