Stimulation of recurrent motor branch of median nerve : can it be a method of determining the type of nerve lesion in carpal tunnel syndrome ?

Abstract EN

The detection of neurapraxia in nerve conduction studies is an evidence that wallerian degeneration has not occurred in the axons of the nerve and rapid recovery of the nerve function can be expected after proper treatment of the cause.

This study was carried out on 110 patients proved to have carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and 30 normal healthy subjects in order to determine the type of nerve lesion in cases of CTS.

We applied a technique allowing stimulation of the recurrent motor branch of the median nerve in the palm in order to detect the type of entrapment in the carpal tunnel.

This evaluation adds substantial information to the electrodiagnostic study of the patients with CTS and should be performed as a routine test in order to determine the type of nerve lesion and in turn for proper direction of the patients to the appropriate line of treatment.