title: Sural nerve conduction studies using ultrasound-guided needle positioning: Influence of age and recording location.
abstract: The aim of this study was to compare results of orthodromic sural nerve conduction studies (NCS) using ultrasound-guided needle positioning (USNP) to those of surface electrode recordings.
  
  
  
  Fifty-one healthy subjects, aged 24-80 years, divided into 5 age groups, were examined. Electrical stimuli were applied behind the lateral malleolus. Sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs) were recorded 8 and 15 cm proximally with surface and needle electrodes.
  
  
  
  Mean SNAP amplitudes (surface / needle electrodes) averaged 12.7 (SD 7.6) μV / 40.6 (SD 20.8) μV (P < 0.001) for subjects aged 20-29 years, and 5.0 (SD 2.4) μV / 19.8 (SD 9.8) μV (P < 0.01) for subjects >60 years of age. SNAP amplitudes were smaller at the proximal recording location.
  
  
  
  NCS using USNP yield higher amplitude responses than surface electrodes in all age groups at all recording sites. SNAP amplitudes are smaller at proximal recording locations due to sural nerve branching. Muscle Nerve 54: 879-882, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse, 3010, Bern, Switzerland. olivier.scheidegger@insel.ch.
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Scheidegger
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kihm
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christian Philipp
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Kamm
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Freiburgstrasse, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Kai Michael
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Rösler
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009339:Needles; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D012016:Reference Values; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000502:physiology*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: healthy volunteers; nerve branching; normative data; sensory nerve conduction studies; sural nerve; ultrasound-guided needle positioning