Neurovascular Compression Caused by Popliteus Muscle Enlargement Without Discrete Trauma

Popliteal entrapment syndrome caused by isolated popliteus muscle enlargement is very rare, although its occurrence has been reported after discrete trauma. However, popliteal artery stenosis with combined peroneal and proximal tibial neuropathy caused by popliteus muscle enlargement without preceding trauma has not been reported. A 57-year-old man presented with a tingling sensation and pain in his left calf. He had no previous history of an injury. The symptoms were similar to those of lumbosacral radiculopathy. Calf pain became worse despite treatment, and the inability to flex his toes progressed. Computed tomography angiography and magnetic resonance imaging of the lower extremity showed popliteal artery stenosis caused by popliteus muscle enlargement and surrounding edema. An electrodiagnostic study confirmed combined peroneal and proximal tibial neuropathy at the popliteal fossa. Urgent surgical decompression was performed because of the progressive neurologic deficit and increasing neuropathic pain. The calf pain disappeared immediately after surgery, and he was discharged after the neurologic functions improved.

Neurovascular Compression Caused by Popliteus Muscle Enlargement Without Discrete Trauma

Popliteal entrapment syndrome caused by isolated popliteus muscle enlargement is very rare, although its occurrence has been reported after discrete trauma. However, popliteal artery stenosis with combined peroneal and proximal tibial neuropathy caused by popliteus muscle enlargement without preceding trauma has not been reported. A 57-year-old man presented with a tingling sensation and pain in his left calf. He had no previous history of an injury. The symptoms were similar to those of lumbosacral radiculopathy. Calf pain became worse despite treatment, and the inability to flex his toes progressed. Computed tomography angiography and magnetic resonance imaging of the lower extremity showed popliteal artery stenosis caused by popliteus muscle enlargement and surrounding edema. An electrodiagnostic study confirmed combined peroneal and proximal tibial neuropathy at the popliteal fossa. Urgent surgical decompression was performed because of the progressive neurologic deficit and increasing neuropathic pain. The calf pain disappeared immediately after surgery, and he was discharged after the neurologic functions improved.

Estudos de condução nervosa no nervo tibial através do tunel do tarso em pacientes de hanseníase / Nerve conduction studies of the tibial nerveacross the tarsal tunnel in leprosy patients

Os autores avaliaram todos os exames de condução nervosa do nervo tibial dos pacientes com suspeita de neuropatia da hanseníase, aguda ou subaguda, atendidos no Ambulatório de Hansenologia do Instituto Lauro de Souza Lima (ILSL) no período de dois anos. Foram incluídos 75 pacientes, 52 masculinos e 23 femininos, com média de idade de 44,5 anos (21 a 73 anos), totalizando 150 nervos. Procurou-se caracterizar o comprometimento neurofisiológico individualizando-se os ramos plantar medial (PM) e plantar lateral (PL), observou-se que o mais envolvido foio PL com 57,4%, seguido do PM com 42,6%. O tipo de lesão nervosa mais frequente foi a de predomínio axonal, com 66%, seguida pela mielínica, com 28,7%.O envolvimento mais freqüente e desproporcional dor amo PL, além de evidenciar o caráter compressivo do comprometimento do tibial no túnel do tarso, remete a uma mononeuropatia múltipla compressiva nos membros inferiores. A alta prevalência do comprometimento do nervo tibial foi considerada uma marcada doença, da mesma forma que a neuropatia ulnar.

The authors assessed all tibial nerve conduction studies (NCS) of the patients under suspicious of acute or subacute leprosy neuropathy, who have been attended the Leprosy Ambulatory Clinic of the ILSL during a period of two years. Seventy-five patients have been included as follows: 52 male and 23 female, between 21 and 73 years old, with the mean age of 44.5 totaling 150 nerves The medial plantar (MP) and lateral plantar ( (LP) branches were studied separately. The most involved was the LP with 57.4%, followed bythe MP with 42.6%. The most frequent injury among the abnormal nerves was the axonal lesion with 66%, followed by the myelin lesion with 28.7%. The most frequent and disproportional involvement of thePL branch not only demonstrates the compressivecharacter of the tibial nerve injury in the tarsaltunnel but also indicates a multiple entrapment mononeuropathy in the lower limbs. The high prevalence of the tibial nerve injury was considered a hallmark of the disease, as well as the ulnar neuropathy.

Efectividad de la electroestimulación del nervio tibial posterior para el tratamiento de la incontinencia urinaria de esfuerzo / Effectiveness of the electro-stimulation of the posterior tibial nerve for the treatment of stress urinary incontinence

La incontinencia urinaria es cualquier pérdida involuntaria de orina. El tratamiento actual consiste en ejercicios de fortalecimiento pélvico y cirugía en los casos severos. Dado que el nervio tibial posterior y músculos del piso pélvico presentan inervación común originada en las raíces sacras se plantea que la estimulación eléctrica de dicho nervio es un método terapéutico de la incontinencia urinaria de esfuerzo. Se realizó un estudio cuasi-experimental, longitudinal, analítico de tipo prospectivo en 22 mujeres entre 20 y 60 años durante el periodo de Junio a Diciembre del año 2014, las cuales cumplieron 6 semanas de terapia y se dividieron en dos grupos: el grupo A que realizó ejercicios de Kegel y Grupo B que realizaron electroestimulación del tibial posterior y ejercicios de Kegel. Las pacientes respondieron el cuestionario de incontinencia urinaria ICIQ-SF al inicio de la terapia y a la finalización. Existió una mejoría global del 26% posterior a la terapia con ejercicios de Kegel y 69% en el grupo que realizó la electroestimulación del tibial posterior al finalizar las 6 semanas de tratamiento.

Urinary incontinence consists in any involuntary loss of urine. -The current treatment consists in pelvic strengthening exercises and surgery in severe cases. Since the tibial posterior nerve and the pelvic floor muscles present common innervation originated in the sacral roots a hypothesis arises: Electrical stimulation of the nerve is a therapeutic method of urinary incontinence. A quasi-experimental, longitudinal, prospective analytical study was performed on 22 women between 20 and 60 years during the period from June to December 2014, which met six weeks of therapy and were divided into two groups: group A who performed Kegel exercises and group B who made electrostimulation of the posterior tibial nerve and Kegel exercises. The patients answered the questionnaire urinary incontinence ICIQ-SF at the start of therapy and termination. There was an overall improvement of 26% after therapy with Kegel exercises and 69% in the group that performed electrostimulation of the posterior tibial nerve at the end of 6 weeks of treatment.

Compressive Neuropathy of the Posterior Tibial Nerve at the Lower Calf Caused by a Ruptured Intramuscular Baker Cyst

Baker cyst is an enlargement of the gastrocnemius-semimembranosus bursa. Neuropathy can occur due to either direct compression from the cyst itself or indirectly after cyst rupture. We report a unique case of a 49-year-old man with left sole pain and paresthesia who was diagnosed with posterior tibial neuropathy at the lower calf area, which was found to be caused by a ruptured Baker cyst. The patient's symptoms resembled those of lumbosacral radiculopathy and tarsal tunnel syndrome. Posterior tibial neuropathy from direct pressure of ruptured Baker cyst at the calf level has not been previously reported. Ruptured Baker cyst with resultant compression of the posterior tibial nerve at the lower leg should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients who complain of calf and sole pain. Electrodiagnostic examination and imaging studies such as ultrasonography or magnetic resonance imaging should be considered in the differential diagnosis of isolated paresthesia of the lower leg.

Lumbosacral plexus injury following vaginal delivery with epidural analgesia: A case report / 대한마취과학회지

A 26 year old, healthy, 41 week primiparous woman received a patient-controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) and experienced paraplegia 11 hours later after a vaginal delivery. This was thought to be the result of complications from PCEA but there was no specific abnormality on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbosacral spine. On an electromyography (EMG) study performed 15 days following delivery, signs of tibial neuropathy were present and peripheral nerve injury during vaginal delivery was suspected. Motor weakness and hypoesthesia of both lower extremities improved rapidly, but a decrease in the desire to urinate or defecate, followed by urinary incontinence and constipation persisted, We suspected the sacral plexus had been severely damaged during vaginal delivery. Seven months later, the patient's conditions improved but had not fully recovered.

Preparation and application of rat myostatin antiserum / 神经科学通报·英文版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To prepare and identify a polyclonal antibody against rat myostatin and investigate myostatin expression in the rat atrophic gastrocnemius muscle after tibial nerve crush.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The purified fusion protein was used as antigen to immunize rabbits for the preparation of polyclonal antibody. The polyclonal antibody of the protein was measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western-blot and immunochemistry. Myostatin protein expression levels in normal and atrophic gastrocnemius muscle were detected by western-blot and immunochemistry assays.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The GST-myostatin had a purity of 96% and possessed high titer and specificity. The level of myostatin in gastrocnemius muscle significantly increased one week after tibial nerve crush, reached the peak on day 14, and then returned to normal level on day 28.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>We have successfully made antiserum of rat myostatin and found that the expression level of myostatin protein in the gastrocnemius after tibial nerve crush-induced atrophy was time-dependent. This study provides an experimental basis to clarify the possible role of myostatin during skeletal muscle atrophy.</p>

Compressive Tibial Neuropathy Induced by Myxoid Liposarcoma in the Popliteal Fossa

Tibial nerve compression occurs most often at the ankle. A proximal tibial nerve entrapment at the popliteal fossais rare because of the deep location of the nerve. We report a case of tibial neuropathy caused by a myxoid liposarcoma at the popliteal fossa, which was diagnosed by electrophysiologic studies, magnetic resonance imaging and an open excisional biopsy. This case illustrates that tumors should be considered when patients present with an entrapment neuropathy of the proximal tibial nerve.

Estudo comparativo entre enxerto autógeno e enxerto muscular coberto com tubo de veia autógeno em nervos tibiais de ratos wistar, utilizando o fluoro-gold® como marcador neuronal / Comparative study between autogenous graft and muscular graft covered with autogenous vein tube in wistar rats' tibial nerves using the fluoro-gold® as a neuronal marker

Este trabalho teve como objetivo o estudo da regeneração nervosa através da contagem de neurônios comparando duas técnicas cirúrgicas no tratamento da perda de substância nervosa nos membros inferiores em 15 ratos. Inicialmente obteve-se tubo de veia de 12mm de comprimento retirado da jugular externa esquerda. A seguir, opera-se os dois membros inferiores, expondo o nervo tibial de cada lado e ressecando um segmento de 8 mm do nervo, simulando, ao mesmo tempo, a perda de substância e a obtenção do enxerto nervoso autógeno. A reparação da perda de substância do lado esquerdo consistiu numa enxertia convencional simples para a reparação de lesão nervosa por meio de sutura microcirúrgica. A do membro inferior direito foi pela tubulização com 8 mm de enxerto de músculo quadríceps denaturado com nitrogênio líquido coberto com veia jugular. Após quatro meses, os animais foram submetidos à nova cirurgia para exposição dos nervos tibiais ao marcador neuronal Fluoro Gold®. Após 48 horas, foram perfundidos e o segmento medular entre L3 e S1 foi removido e posteriormente cortado em secções de 40 æm. Houve contagem neuronal de todos os cortes e não foram verificadas diferenças estatísticas entre as duas técnicas cirúrgicas.

The purpose of this work was to study nervous regeneration through neurons counts by comparing two surgical techniques for addressing nervous gaps on 15 rats' lower limbs. Initially, a 12-mm long vein tube from the left outer jugular was obtained, and then both lower limbs are operated, exposing the tibial nerve at each side and performing a resection of an 8-mm nerve segment, at the same time simulating a gap and an autogenous nerve graft. Left gap repair consisted of a usual conventional graft for nervous injury repair by means of microsurgical suture. The gap repair on right lower limbs was made through quadriceps muscle, treated with liquid nitrogen, covered with an 8-mm tube of jugular vein. After four months, the animals were submitted to a new surgery for exposing tibial nerves to the Fluoro-Gold® neuronal marker. After 48 hours, the rats were perfused and medullar segment between L3 and S1 was removed and subsequently cut into 40æm sections. Neurons on all sections were counted, and no statistical differences were found between both surgical techniques.

Estudo comparativo da ação do fator de crescimento de fibroblastos e fragmentos de nervo na regeneração de nervo tibial em ratos / Fibroblasts growth factor and nerve fragments effect on tibial nerve regeneration in rats: a comparative study

OBJETIVO: Comparar quantitativamente, a estimulação da regeneração do nervo tibial de ratos pelo Fator de Crescimento de Fibroblastos e por fragmentos de nervo dentro tubos de silicone. MÉTODOS: Foram utilizados 18 ratos da raça Wistar. A cirurgia consistiu inicialmente na ressecção de um segmento de 8 mm do nervo tibial, seguida da interposição com tubos de silicone. No lado direito, o tubo foi preenchido com solução de Fator de Crescimento de Fibroblastos (FGF) e, no lado esquerdo, com segmentos do nervo cortados em fragmentos de 1 mm. Após três meses, os animais foram submetidos a nova cirurgia para exposição dos nervos tibiais ao marcador neuronal Fluro-Gold®. Quarenta e oito horas após a exposição ao corante, os ratos foram perfundidos com solução de paraformaldeído e o segmento medular entre L3 e S1 foi removido e cortado em fatias de 40 micrômetros de espessura. RESULTADOS E CONCLUSÃO: os resultados da contagem neuronal mostraram maior quantidade de neurônios no lado onde foi colocado FGF em relação ao lado onde foram colocados fragmentos nervosos, demonstrando que o fator de crescimento de fibroblastos é superior a fragmentos de nervos na estimulação da regeneração nervosa quando colocados no tubo de silicone.

OBJECTIVE: To quantitatively compare rats' tibial nerve regeneration stimulation by Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) and nerve fragments using silicone tubes. METHODS: 18 Wistar rats were employed in this experiment. The experimental surgery consisted of resection of an 8-mm tibial nerve segment, followed by an interposition of silicone tubes. On the right side, the tube was filled with a Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) solution, and on the left side, it was filled with 1 mm nerve segments. After three months, the animals were submitted to an additional surgery for exposing tibial nerves to the neuronal marker Fluoro-Gold®. After 48 hours, they were perfused with a paraformaldehyde solution and the medullar segment between L3 and S1 was removed and cut into 40 mum-thick segments. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The results of neuronal counts showed a higher amount of neurons on the side where FGF was used compared to the side where nervous fragments were placed, suggesting a superior performance of the fibroblast growth factor over nerve fragments for stimulating nervous regeneration in silicone tubes.

Does the Tibial and Sural Nerve Transection Model Represent Sympathetically Independent Pain?

Neuropathic pain can be divided into sympathetically maintained pain (SMP) and sympathetically independent pain (SIP). Rats with tibial and sural nerve transection (TST) produce neuropathic pain behaviors, including spontaneous pain, tactile allodynia, and cold allodynia. The present study was undertaken to examine whether rats with TST would represent SMP- or SIP-dominant neuropathic pain by lumbar surgical sympathectomy. The TST model was generated by transecting the tibial and sural nerves, leaving the common peroneal nerve intact. Animals were divided into the sympathectomy group and the sham group. For the sympathectomy group, the sympathetic chain was removed bilaterally from L2 to L6 one week after nerve transection. The success of the sympathectomy was verified by measuring skin temperature on the hind paw and by infra red thermography. Tactile allodynia was assessed using von Frey filaments, and cold allodynia was assessed using acetone drops. A majority of the rats exhibited withdrawal behaviors in response to tactile and cold stimulations after nerve stimulation. Neither tactile allodynia nor cold allodynia improved after successful sympathectomy, and there were no differences in the threshold of tactile and cold allodynia between the sympathectomy and sham groups. Tactile allodynia and cold allodynia in the neuropathic pain model of TST are not dependent on the sympathetic nervous system, and this model can be used to investigate SIP syndromes.

Does the Tibial and Sural Nerve Transection Model Represent Sympathetically Independent Pain?

Neuropathic pain can be divided into sympathetically maintained pain (SMP) and sympathetically independent pain (SIP). Rats with tibial and sural nerve transection (TST) produce neuropathic pain behaviors, including spontaneous pain, tactile allodynia, and cold allodynia. The present study was undertaken to examine whether rats with TST would represent SMP- or SIP-dominant neuropathic pain by lumbar surgical sympathectomy. The TST model was generated by transecting the tibial and sural nerves, leaving the common peroneal nerve intact. Animals were divided into the sympathectomy group and the sham group. For the sympathectomy group, the sympathetic chain was removed bilaterally from L2 to L6 one week after nerve transection. The success of the sympathectomy was verified by measuring skin temperature on the hind paw and by infra red thermography. Tactile allodynia was assessed using von Frey filaments, and cold allodynia was assessed using acetone drops. A majority of the rats exhibited withdrawal behaviors in response to tactile and cold stimulations after nerve stimulation. Neither tactile allodynia nor cold allodynia improved after successful sympathectomy, and there were no differences in the threshold of tactile and cold allodynia between the sympathectomy and sham groups. Tactile allodynia and cold allodynia in the neuropathic pain model of TST are not dependent on the sympathetic nervous system, and this model can be used to investigate SIP syndromes.

Avaliação sensitiva do nervo tibial através de monofilamentos em portadores de diabetes mellitus / Sensitive evaluation of the tibial nerve through monofilaments in diabetes mellitus patients

O diabetes mellitus, caracterizado pela deficiência absoluta ou relativa na secreção ou ação da insulina, levando ao comprometimento do metabolismo dos carboidratos, gorduras e proteínas, pode ocasionar várias anomalias fisiológicas, dentre as quais estão as neuropatias perféricas. A detecção precoce desta, pode prevenir o desencadeamento do déficit sensitivo, motor e autonômico, bem como a conseqüente alteração biomecânica, prevenindo, desta maneira, a formação de calosidades que podem favorecer as ulcerações e culminar em amputações. Diante de tal fato, realizamos o presente estudo objetivando a detecção do acometimento sensitivo do nervo tibial através de monofilamentos Semmes-Weinstein, em 27 indivíduos portadores de diabetes mellitus tipo II. A avaliação sensitiva foi realizada na região plantar de ambos os pés, no dermátomo sensitivo correspondente ao nervo tibial. Concomitantemente foi colhida a história clínica, sendo abordados itens como o tempo de duração do diabetes, a presença de formigamento, sensação de queimação, adormecimento e presença de quadro álgico nos pés; bem como realizada a avaliação clínica dos pés dos indivíduos diabéticos a fim de determinar a presença de ressecamento, calosidades, fissuras, ferimentos, ulcerações e amputações. Foi detectado o acometimento sensitivo do nervo tibial, sugestivo de neuropatia diabética em 15 dos 27 indivíduos avaliados, sendo que todos os indivíduos que apresentaram ferimentos, ulcerações e amputações estavam entre estes 15. Os monofilamentos se mostraram ser um método eficaz, de fácil aplicação e baixo custo para detecção de alteração sensitiva sugestiva de neuropatia diabética

Posterior tibial neuropathy by a Baker's cyst

Baker's cysts are rare cause of peripheral nerve entrapment and only a few cases of tibial nerve entrapment resulting from the popliteal cyst in the calf muscle have been reported in the literature. We present a case of rheumatoid arthritis complicated by a Baker's cyst with a tibial nerve entrapment. It is important to diagnose a Baker's cyst early and to differentiate it from thrombophlebitis, a popliteal aneurysm, tumor or muscle tear to effect optimal therapy and to obviate a potential neuropathy. Prompt recognition of these cases may save the patients unnecessary procedures and delay in treatment.