Non- traumatic paralysis of radial nerve: a report of 24 cases / 中华骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective Twenty- four case of non- traumatic paralysis of radial nerve were reviewed. Methods Between 1985 and 2000, 24 patients with non- traumatic paralysis of radial nerve were referred to this hospital for treatment. There were 18 men and 6 women with a mean age of 38 years (range, 10 to 65 years). Eleven patients had occupations with unduly stress of the forearm. Tendon transfer was performed in 1 patient, operative neurolysis in 18, nerve- grafting in 3, neurorrhaphy in 2. Results Of the 12 patients with the palsy attributed to entrapment of the fibrous edge of muscles, 8 occurred at the supinator, 1 at the tendinous edge of extensor digitorum communis and 3 at multiple sites.The palsy was caused by marked constrictions of the nerves in 5 patients, by benign tumors or tumorous conditions in 4 (by a ganglion in 2, by lipoma in 1 and by haemangioma in 1), by a neurilemmoma on the nerve in 1. The cause was unknown in 1. The patients who accepted neurolysis were followed up from 6 months to 15 years postoperatively. An excellent or good functional result was documented in 14 patients, fair in 3, and poor in 1. The patients who were treated with neurorrhaphy or nerve- grafting were followed- up from 4 months to 6 years, 3 recovered completely, 2 were in the convalescent stage (1 was treated by nerve- grafting and the other by neurorrhaphy). Conclusion The etiology of non- traumatic paralysis of radial nerve was miscellaneous. The results of surgical treatment were satisfactory.