• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.236-239
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• 2017

After dual plating with a locking compression plate for comminuted intraarticular fractures of the distal humerus, the incidence of ulnar nerve injury after surgery has been reported to be up to 38%. This can be reduced by an anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve but some surgeons believe that extensive handling of the nerve with transposition can increase the risk of an ulnar nerve dysfunction. This paper reports ulnar nerve injuries caused by the incomplete insertion of a screw head in dual plating without an anterior ulnar nerve transposition for AO/OTA type C2 distal humerus fractures. When an anatomical locking plate is applied to a distal humeral fracture, locking screws around the ulnar nerve should be inserted fully without protrusion of the screw because an incompletely inserted screw can cause irritation or injury to the ulnar nerve because the screw head in the locking system usually has a slightly sharp edge because screw head has threads. If the change in insertion angle and resulting protruded head of the screw are unavoidable for firm fixation of fracture, the anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve is recommended over a soft tissue shield.

• Clinical Pain
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.127-130
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• 2021

Ultrasound (US)-guided hydrodissection (HD) is a widely applied therapeutic method to release the entrapped peripheral nerve. However, this therapy has only been studied for the nerve entrapments such as carpal tunnel syndrome, and there are no reports of its effect on direct nerve injuries with incomplete axonal damage. Here, we report a case of direct traumatic injury of a median nerve with incomplete axonal injury in a 28-year-old man. He presented hypoesthesia and weakness along with the median nerve territory of the left hand after a laceration wound of the wrist. The patient underwent a surgical procedure, but did not experience prominent improvement for the next six months. Symptoms improved after we performed the US-guided HD with dextrose. We propose this procedure as one of the new treatment methods for direct axonal injury of nerves including the median nerve.

• Maxillofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.428-437
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• 1994

Optic nerve injury serious enough to result in blindness had been reported to occur in 3% of facial fractures. When blindness is immediate and complete, the prognosis for even partial recovery is poor. Progressive or incomplete visual loss may be ameliorated either by large dosage of steroid or by emergency optic nerve decompression, depending on the mechanism of injury, the degree of trauma to the optic canal, and the period of time that elapses between injury and medical intervention. We often miss initial assessment of visual function in management of facial fracture patients due to loss of consciousness, periorbital swelling and emergency situations. Delayed treatment of injuried optic nerve cause permanent blindness due to irreversible change of optic nerve. But by treating posttraumatic optic nerve injuries aggressively, usable vision can preserved in a number of patients. The following report concerns three who suffered visual loss due to optic nerve injury with no improvement after steroid therapy and/or optic nerve decompression surgery.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.96-99
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• 1994

Causalgia is a symptom complex usually consisting of burning pain, hyperesthesia and atrophy of the involved extremity. The pain may be aggravated by contact, motion of extremity or emotional excitement. It occurs following incomplete nerve injury. The patient was a 58-year-old male with a 3-year history of causalgic pain of left lower extremity. He had multiple fractures with degloving injury of left lower extremity in an automobile accident. The pain was exacerbated by movement, and he experienced knee joint and ankle joint contracture. The patient's pain decreased after continuous epidural block with 1% lidocaine and 0.25% bupivacaine. He also received lumbar sympathetic ganglion alcohol block resulting in much improvement of level of pain and walking disturbance.

• Journal of Electrodiagnosis and Neuromuscular Diseases
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.153-158
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• 2018

Posterior interosseus (PI) nerve compression is a rare form of compressive neuropathy. It can cause pain along the radial nerve course and weakness of radial nerve innervating muscles without sensory symptoms. A 65-year-old man visited our institution complaining weakness of finger extension and thumb abduction after 2 times of injections at the right elbow in local clinic. The patient's clinical history and physical examination implied an iatrogenic radial nerve injury caused by the injection. The electrophysiologic study revealed of posterior interosseus neuropathy (PIN) with incomplete conduction block. However, the ultrasound study showed that the PI nerve was compressed by an anechoic cyst. The magnetic resonance imaging also confirmed of a ganglion cyst, not a hematoma. After repeated aspirations and a steroid injection, the electrophysiologic study showed recovery of motor weakness. Despite of the clue which implying an iatrogenic injury, clinician should consider other possibilities such as ganglion cysts and ultrasound guided aspiration and steroid injection could be an effective option for conservative management.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.52 no.3
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• pp.264-266
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• 2012

Injury to the bilateral internal branch of superior laryngeal nerve (ibSLN) brings on an impairment of the laryngeal cough reflex that could potentially result in aspiration pneumonia and other respiratory illnesses. We describe a patient with traumatic cervical injury who underwent bilateral ibSLN palsy after anterior cervical discectomy with fusion (ACDF). An 75-year-old man visited with cervical spine fracture and he underwent ACDF through a right side approach. During the post-operative days, he complained of high pitched tone defect, and occasional coughing during meals. With a suspicion of SLN injury and for the work up for the cause of aspiration, we performed several studies. According to the study results, he was diagnosed as right SLN and left ibSLN palsy. We managed him for protecting from silent aspiration. Swallowing study was repeated and no evidence of aspiration was found. The patient was discharged with incomplete recovery of a high pitched tone and improved state of neurologic status. The SLN is an important structure; therefore, spine surgeons need to be concerned and be cautious about SLN injury during high cervical neck dissection, especially around the level of C3-C4 and a suspicious condition of a contralateral nerve injury.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.87-90
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• 2015

Purpose: We evaluated the efficacy of ultrasound-guided lower extremity nerve block in trauma patients. Methods: From July 2013 to April 2014, 17 patients with multiple trauma had lower extremity nerve block for immediate management of open wound in the lower extremity. We evaluated the patient satisfaction of the anesthesia and any complications related to the block. Results: During the lower extremity nerve block, incomplete nerve block occurred in one patient. This is the second case, the reason for this was the lack of technique. There was no anesthetic complications. Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided lower extremity nerve block in trauma patients is an effective anesthesia technique in the immediate management of open wound in lower extremities.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.8-12
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• 2015

Background: The aim of this study was to assess demographics, clinical outcomes, and complications of classic floating elbow in adults. Methods: Six patients with ipsilateral diaphyseal fractures of the humerus, radius, and ulna were reviewed retrospectively. All patients were treated operatively and available for follow-up at a minimum of 1 year after surgery. The average age of the patients was 45.2 years (22-64 years) and the average follow-up period was 37.0 months (14-103 months). They were evaluated with postoperative outcome measures, including a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, Mayo elbow performance score (MEPS), and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) shoulder score. Residual complications were also evaluated. Results: Five patients (83.3%) had open fracture, and 4 patients (66.7%) presented with associated nerve injury. All fractures were united within postoperative 4 months, except 1 delayed union. The average VAS pain score, MEPS, and ASES shoulder score at the final follow-up examination was 2.5, 79.8, and 67.5 respectively. Three patients including 2 cases of joint stiffness with incomplete recovery from nerve injury and 1 case of complex regional pain syndrome had poor clinical outcome. Conclusions: Although the classic floating elbow is rare, these injuries potentially have associated problems such as open fracture or nerve injury. The presence of residual neurological symptoms predispose to poorer clinical outcomes.

• Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.117-122
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• 2006

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between rotator cuff tear and nerve injury, and prevalence of nerve injury using electromyographic study. Materials and Methods: From May 2004 to Feb. 2005, 19 cases, who underwent surgery for full-thickness rotator cuff tear, were evaluated for nerve injury using electomyogram instruments preoperatively. Rotator cuff tears caused by acute high energy trauma were excluded in this study. Mean age was 59 (range, 45-87) years and mean duration of symptoms was 45 (range, 1-360) month. Results: There were six nerve injuries (31.6%). All of them were incomplete brachial plexus injuries, and mainly postganglionic lesions. Four cases among them had minor trauma history. There were no significant differences in terms of cuff tear size, range of motion, pain score and functional score between groups with and without nerve injury. Conclusion: This study showed high prevalence (31.6%) of nerve injury in full-thickness rotator cuff tear. So careful physical examination and evaluation for nerve injury are needed in rotator cuff tear.

• Archives of Reconstructive Microsurgery
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.92-96
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• 1999

Neuroma is formed by abnormal, incomplete nerve regeneration after nerve injury. A painful neuroma in the hand can be psychologically and physically disabling. The goal of treating painful neuroma is to relieve pain and to restore nerve function. A numerous treatment modality was reported for alleviating the problem. These treatments include crushing the neuroma, ligating it, burying in soft tissue, bone, and muscle, injecting it with alcohol, phenol, and steroid, capping it with silicone cuff. But, none of these methods has been uniformly successful, although each has its advocates. No one technique reliably prevents formation of a painful neuroma. However, the principles of treatment is resection of neuroma and proximal stump of the nerve is transposed to appropriate adjacent tissue. Our current technique was resection of neuroma with partial normal neural tissue, and then the nerve ending was transposed and sutured to the side of the proximal stump with 10-0 nylon, so end-to-side neurorrhaphy was made. The nerve ending had to be placed and fixed into the proximal nerve epineurium like as a figure of a loop. We believe this technique is another useful method for the treatment of painful neuroma.