Comparison of epineural and peripheral methods in ulnar nerve repair

ABSTRACT

Background and Objective: Repair of peripheral nerve is one of main challenge in surgery and despite improvement in this field less than 50% of cases have functional improvment. This study was done to evaluate the comparison of epineural and peripheral methods in ulnar nerve repair. Method: In this clinical trial study, 28 patients with ulnar nerve injury in distal of forearm were r and omly divided equly into epineural and peripheral surgery methods. After 4 months of surgery, the subjects were examined using with EMG, nerve conduction velocity [NCV] and sensorimotor examination on the first dorsal interosos muscle [FDIM] and abductor digiti minim muscle [ADM]. Results: The mean of domain nerve activity, latency nerve activity and NCV in affected upper limb and non affected side had significant differences in epineural and peripheral methods [P<0.05]. Latency nerve activity and NCV were similar in both methods. The mean of motor unit potential [MUP] was determined in 71% and 64% of patiants in epineural and peripheral methods, respectively. Muscle activity of FDIM was observed in 64% and 57% of patients in epineural and peripheral methods, respectively. Light touch was determined in 35.7% and 28.5% of patients in epineural and peripheral methods, respectively. Pain was reported in 78.5% and 57% of patients in epineural and peripheral methods, respectively. Conclusion: There was no difference between nerve repair by epineurium and prineurium methods using EMG, NCV and motorosensorial examination