title: Type and frequency of peripheral nerve injuries encountered in a clinical neurophysiology laboratory.
abstract: Clinical and electrophysiologic findings on 136 patients (39 women and 97 men; mean age = 33.2 years) with traumatic peripheral nerve injuries were reviewed. Motor vehicular collisions (MVCs) caused 39.7% and gunshot wounds (GSWs) produced 32.4% of the nerve injuries studied. Other factors such as falls, lacerations, work-related injuries, knife wounds, and blunt traumas produced the remaining 27.9% of the nerve injuries in the study group. Peripheral nerves of the upper limbs (79.6%) were disproportionately damaged in MVCs compared with those of the lower limbs (20.4 %). In MVCs, the brachial plexus was involved in 37.0% and radial nerve in 22.2% of the cases. Patients with GSWs were predominantly men (88.6%) and slightly younger (mean age = 28.7 years). The frequencies of peripheral nerve injuries to the upper extremities (52.3%) and lower extremities (45.5%) were nearly similar in GSWs. The sciatic nerve was involved in 34.1% of GSWs, followed by the ulnar nerve (22.7%).
authors.affiliation: Electromyography Laboratory, Department of Neurology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson 39216, USA.
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Wee
authors.forename: N R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Truitt
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000062:Accidents, Occupational; D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009482:Neurophysiology; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries; D014949:Wounds, Nonpenetrating / Q000150:complications; D014950:Wounds, Penetrating / Q000150:complications