title: Recalcitrant post-surgical neuropathy of the ulnar nerve at the elbow: treatment with autogenous saphenous vein wrapping.
abstract: Surgical decompression or transposition is generally efficacious for cubital tunnel syndrome. However, recurrence is not rare and its management is both challenging and difficult. Four patients with refractory cubital tunnel syndrome were operated on with the vein-wrapping technique, using the autologous saphenous vein. A total of 16 operative procedures were performed on these patients prior to wrapping the ulnar nerve with a saphenous vein graft. The mean patient age was 43 years (range: 30 to 54 years) and the mean follow-up was 34 months (range: 24 to 44 months). All patients reported significant pain relief and improvement in sensation. Two-point discrimination and EMG findings also improved. This is the first study reporting long-term results of the vein-wrapping technique for the treatment of recalcitrant cubital tunnel syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania 15213, USA.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Varitimidis
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Riano
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Sotereanos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020430:Cubital Tunnel Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000601:surgery*; D012501:Saphenous Vein / Q000637:transplantation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000601:surgery