Ultrasonographic evaluation of sciatic nerves in patients with spinal cord injury.
METHODS
Cross-sectional, controlled study.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the sciatic nerves of subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) by using ultrasound (US) imaging and to explore whether US measurements are associated with clinical and electrophysiological findings.


METHODS
National Rehabilitation Center in Ankara, Turkey.


METHODS
Fifteen SCI subjects (12 male (M), 3 female (F)) and 23 (16 M, 7 F) healthy controls were included in the study. After clinical assessment of the subjects, lower limb nerve conduction studies and US imaging of the sciatic nerves were performed. Cross-sectional area (CSA) values of the sciatic nerves were correlated with the clinical and electrophysiologic data.


RESULTS
Mean CSA values were lower in the patient group when compared with the control group (P=0.042). Reduced compound motor action potentials regarding tibial and peroneal nerves were observed in the patient group (P=0.003 and P=0.005, respectively). US measurements did not correlate with the electrophysiological findings. However, sciatic nerve CSA values were positively correlated with body mass index in the control (r=0.534, P<0.05) and patient (r=0.482, P<0.05) groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Sciatic nerves seem to be smaller in subjects with SCI. Together with our electrophysiological data, this preliminary finding could possibly be attributed to primary axonal loss.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
T
T
Tiftik
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
G T
GT
Öztürk
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
M
M
Kara
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
C
C
Türkkan
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
M
M
Ersöz
Department of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, Hacettepe University Medical School, Ankara, Turkey.
L
L
Özçakar
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000328:Adult; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D012584:Sciatic Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000473:pathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography