title: A reliable technique for ultrasound-guided perineural injection in ulnar neuropathy at the elbow.
abstract: Ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE) is a common peripheral compression neuropathy and, in most cases, occurs at 2 sites, the retroepicondylar groove or the cubital tunnel. With regard to a potential therapeutic approach with perineural corticosteroid injection, the aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of injection fluid applied at a standard site.
  
  
  
  We performed ultrasound-guided (US-guided) perineural injections to the ulnar nerve halfway between the olecranon and the medial epicondyle in 21 upper limbs from 11 non-embalmed cadavers. In anatomic dissection we investigated the spread of injected ink.
  
  
  
  Ink was successfully injected into the perineural sheath of the ulnar nerve in all 21 cases (cubital tunnel: 21 of 21; retroepicondylar groove: 19 of 21).
  
  
  
  US-guided injection between the olecranon and the medial epicondyle is a feasible and safe method to reach the most common sites of ulnar nerve entrapment. Muscle Nerve 56: 237-241, 2017.
authors.affiliation: Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology & Medical Imaging Cluster, Medical University Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Ulrike M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Hamscha
authors.affiliation: Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology & Medical Imaging Cluster, Medical University Vienna, Austria.|Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Medical University Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tinhofer
authors.affiliation: Center for Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical University Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heber
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, KFJ Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Grisold
authors.affiliation: Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology & Medical Imaging Cluster, Medical University Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Wolfgang J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Weninger
authors.affiliation: Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology & Medical Imaging Cluster, Medical University Vienna, Austria.|Department of Radiology, KFJ Hospital, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meng
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002244:Carbon / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004550:Elbow / Q000294:innervation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D020424:Ulnar Neuropathies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: C028433:chinese ink; D002244:Carbon
keywords: perineural injection; ulnar groove; ulnar nerve; ulnar neuropathy at the elbow; ultrasound