title: [F-waves in brachial plexus palsy correlated to the prognosis of intrinsic paralysis].
abstract: F-waves were examined in 80 nerves of 40 brachial plexus palsies in 37 cases. The electrical responses were evoked by 30 consecutive supramaximal electric stimuli to the median and ulnar nerves at the wrist and elbow, and recorded from the abductor pollicis brevis and abductor digiti minimi muscles. Three parameters in the F-waves were analyzed--conduction velocity, the difference between the maximal and minimal latencies, and the amplitude. In all cases, examinations were done repeatedly to detect changes in these parameters, and the results were compared with the clinical course of the intrinsic muscle function. Twenty-seven cases were investigated before and after explorative surgery. The findings were divided into four groups. The 1st group consisted of 12 nerves in which F-waves were not recorded. The intrinsic muscle power in this group was zero, and did not show any restoration. The 2nd group consisted of 10 nerves in which the conduction velocity was delayed. The muscle power in this group was fair, poor or trace, and there was no change in conduction velocity and muscle function. The 3rd group consisted of 18 nerves in which parameters other than the conduction velocity were abnormal, and the intrinsic muscle power in this group was fair, good or normal. In 7 of these nerves, the large latency difference decreased to normal at the 2nd, 3rd or 4th test with functional recovery in the intrinsic muscle. The high amplitude also changed to normal at the 2nd test with functional recovery. The 4th group consisted of 40 nerves in which all the parameters were normal and had full intrinsic muscle power. In conclusion, an examination of the F-waves was valuable to indicate the prognosis of the intrinsic muscle in the hand in brachial plexus palsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nobuta
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001917:Brachial Plexus / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D006225:Hand; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation*; D010243:Paralysis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011379:Prognosis