title: Ulnar nerve strain at the elbow in patients with cubital tunnel syndrome: effect of simple decompression.
abstract: Simple decompression of the ulnar nerve at the elbow has not been shown to reduce nerve strain in cadavers. In this study, ulnar nerve strain at the elbow was measured intraoperatively in 11 patients with cubital tunnel syndrome, before and after simple decompression. Statistical analysis was performed using a paired Student's t-test. Mean ulnar nerve strain before and after simple decompression was 30.5% (range 9% to 69%) and 5.5% (range -2% to 11%), respectively; this difference was statistically significant (p < 0.01) with a statistical power of 96%. Simple decompression reduced ulnar nerve strain in all patients by an average of 24.5%. Our results suggest that the pathophysiology of cubital tunnel syndrome may be multifactorial, being neither a simple compression neuropathy nor a simple traction neuropathy, and simple decompression may be a favourable surgical procedure for cubital tunnel syndrome in terms of decompression and reduction of strain in the ulnar nerve.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kawasaki Municipal Kawasaki Hospital, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa, Japan. ochi@1998.jukuin.keio.ac.jp
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ochi
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Horiuchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arino
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koyanagi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D020430:Cubital Tunnel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: Cubital tunnel syndrome; excursion; strain; traction; ulnar nerve; ulnar nerve palsy; ulnar neuropathy