The Surgical Treatment of Ulnar Nerve Entrapment Neuropathy at the Elbow Level by Simple Decompression

Abstract

Objective: Ulnar nerve entrapment neuropathy usually occurs at the cubital groove. The treatment is conservative approach or surgery. In this study, our aim is to evaluate the surgical results of simple decompression technique on the treatment of ulnar nerve entrapment neuropathy. Materials and Methods: Fifty-six patients with the diagnosis of ulnar nerve entrapment neuropathy were operated between 2005 and 2009. The ulnar nerve was intact in all cases. Thirty-six patients were male and 20 were female. The mean age was 37.8 years. Simple decompression at the elbow level was performed in all patients under the local anesthesia. The mean operation duration was 30 minutes. Results: The complaints were totally improved in 92.86% of the patients. Four patients did not benefit from the surgery and 3 of them had rheumatological disease. No complication was observed and the complaints were not increased in any case. Conclusion: Simple decompression at the elbow level is the most appropriate and less invasive method in the treatment of ulnar nerve entrapment neuropathy. Surgical treatment must be delayed in patients with rheumatological disease.

Keywords

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Ulnar Sinirin Kubital Oluk Düzeyinde Tuzak Nöropatisinin Basit Dekompresyon Yöntemi İle Cerrahi Tedavisi

Öz

Amaç: Ulnar sinir tuzak nöropatisi (TNP) genellikle kubital oluk seviyesinde meydana gelir. Tedavisi konservatif yaklaşım veya cerrahidir. Bu çalışmadaki amacımız ulnar TNP'de uyguladığımız basit dekompresyon tekniğinin cerrahi sonuçlarını incelemektir. Gereç ve Yöntemler: 2005-2009 arasında ulnar TNP tanısı alan 56 hasta kliniğimizde opere edildi. Bu hastaların tamamının sinir bütünlüğü tam idi. Hastaların 36'sı erkek, 20'u ise bayan idi. Yaş ortalaması 37,8 idi. Hastaların tümüne lokal anestezi altında kubital oluk düzeyinde basit dekompresyon ameliyatı uygulandı. Ortalama ameliyat süresi 30 dk. olarak kaydedildi. Bulgular: Hastaların %92,86‘sinin şikayetleri ameliyattan sonra tamamen geçti. 56 hastanın 4'ü cerrahiden fayda görmedi, bu hastaların 3'ü romatolojik hastalığı bulunan kişilerdi. Hiçbir hastada cerrahi komplikasyon gelişmedi ve hastaların şikayetleri ameliyattan sonra artmadı. Sonuç: Basit dekompresyon ulnar sinirin kubital oluk seviyesindeki TNP'inde en uygun ve en az invazif cerrahi yöntemdir. Eşlik eden romatolojik hastalığı olanlarda cerrahi için beklenmelidir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Ulnar sinir tuzak nöropatisi, kubital oluk, basit dekompresyon

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15. Kabul Tarihi: Kabul Tarihi: 08.10.2010