title: Ulnar nerve injuries in Guyon canal: a report of 32 cases.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, the surgical outcomes of 32 patients with ulnar nerve injuries in the Guyon canal are presented. Outcomes were analyzed in relation to various factors such as age, surgical timing, zone of injury, and type of nerve reconstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 1990 and 2007, 32 patients with injury in Guyon canal were managed surgically. Twelve patients had ulnar nerve injury proximal to its bifurcation (zone I); 14 patients had isolated motor branch injury (zone II); and six patients had isolated sensory branch injury (zone III). End-to-end repair was achieved in 12 (38%) of 32 patients, while nerve grafting was performed in 20 (62%) cases. The mean follow-up period was 22 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Good and excellent motor function was restored in 25 (96%) of 26 cases with motor branch injury. Good and excellent sensory results were achieved in 15 (83%) of 18 cases with sensory branch injury. Outcomes were significantly better for those who had early repair (<4 weeks) when compared with those who had repair 4 weeks after injury (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences between outcomes after end-to-end repair or nerve grafting (P > 0.05) and between outcomes from repair of injuries in different zone (P > 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Early diagnosis and surgical treatment with careful dissection of the ulnar nerve branches within the canal is very important. Adequate exposure is usually required to repair the nerve in the Guyon canal. Nerve grafting in this level could give analogous results as the end-to-end repair.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Orthopaedics, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece. zinon.kokkalis@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Zinon T
authors.initials: ZT
authors.lastname: Kokkalis
authors.forename: Dimitrios G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Efstathopoulos
authors.forename: Ioannis D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Papanastassiou
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sarlikiotis
authors.forename: Panayiotis J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Papagelopoulos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013514:Surgical Procedures, Operative; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000293:injuries* / Q000601:surgery*; D055815:Young Adult