title: [Application of needle electromyography and nerve conduction study in forensic appraisal].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the application value of needle electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction study (NCS) in the forensic appraisal; to provide scientific basis for establishing normative and unified assessment methods of the peripheral nerve study in forensic medicine.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and sixty-four samples with injured peripheral nerve (injury group) and 138 samples with normal peripheral nerve (control group) were collected and tested with methods of EMG and NCS respectively. The relevance rate of two methods were compared and statistical analysis was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the injury group, there was no statistical difference on the relevance rate between the application of EMG and that of NCS (P > 0.05). In the control group, there was no statistical difference on the negative rate between the two methods (P > 0.05). The false negative rate of the injury group and the false positive rate of the control group were both 0% when using the two methods together.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When the injured peripheral nerve in forensic appraisal is in doubt, application of both EMG and NCS could disclose truth from falsehood. The accuracy and credibility of identification results could be enhanced.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Institute of Forensic Science, Ministry of Justice, Shanghai 200063, PR China. xiaqing0128@126.com
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Guang-You
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Li-Hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004576:Electromyography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005554:Forensic Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000293:injuries; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D009339:Needles; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D059348:Peripheral Nerve Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000293:injuries; D055815:Young Adult