You've Got Some Nerve: Initial Management of Iatrogenic Nerve Injuries.

Orthopaedic surgery has a higher risk of iatrogenic nerve injury than other surgical specialties. The initial management depends on the etiology, which requires early recognition and an appreciation for the injury. Three perspectives are given to guide the surgeon through the initial management of these devastating complications.

Double Crush Syndrome in the Lower Extremity: Simultaneous L5 Radiculopathy and Common Peroneal Nerve Compression.

Background: Double crush syndrome (DCS) is defined as multiple sites of compression along a single nerve. The combination of a compressive proximal lesion in the lumbar spine and a distal common peroneal nerve entrapment may result in compound nerve dysfunction.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of 100 patients who underwent common peroneal nerve decompression with a diagnosis of L5 radiculopathy between January 2000 and April 2023 at two quaternary academic institutions was performed.

Failed ulnar nerve surgery due to persistent unrecognized snapping triceps from cubitus varus due to a distal humeral malunion in an adult: illustrative case.

Background: Snapping triceps is a dynamic condition in which a portion of the medial head of the triceps dislocates over the medial epicondyle during flexion or extension. Pushed by the triceps, the ulnar nerve typically also dislocates over the medial epicondyle, causing neuropathy. Posttraumatic cubitus varus deformities resulting from pediatric supracondylar fractures have been associated with snapping triceps.

Predisposing factors for incomplete spontaneous recovery after Parsonage-Turner Syndrome.

Introduction: Parsonage-Turner Syndrome (PTS) is a rare idiopathic brachial neuritis that classically presents with sudden onset upper extremity pain followed by upper limb weakness, sensory disruption, and muscle atrophy. We hypothesized that the type of antecedent event before symptom onset would determine the degree of spontaneous recovery after PTS.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed all patients who presented with PTS to a single tertiary referral center from January 2002 to December 2021.

Median intraneural ganglion cyst at the elbow: the first known example of a joint connection and a reflection on the past. Illustrative case.

Background: The articular origin of intraneural ganglion cysts has been previously described and well supported, except for the median nerve at the level of the elbow.

Observations: The authors present a patient with a median intraneural ganglion cyst at the elbow region and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of a joint connection to the proximal radioulnar joint. A 63-year-old man presented with thumb flexion weakness and dysesthesias in the thumb, index, and middle fingers.

Neurologic Clinical, Electrophysiologic, and Pathologic Characteristics of Primary vs Secondary Neurolymphomatosis.

Background And Objectives: Neurolymphomatosis (NL) is characterized by lymphomatous infiltration of the peripheral nervous system presenting as the initial manifestation of a lymphoma (primary NL [PNL]) or in relapse of a known lymphoma (secondary NL [SNL]). This report details and compares the neurologic clinicopathologic characteristics of these 2 groups.

Methods: This retrospective study was performed on patients diagnosed with pathologically confirmed NL in nerve between January 1, 1992, and June 31, 2020.

Core outcomes in nerve surgery: development of a core outcome set for common peroneal (fibular) neuropathy.

Objective: Common peroneal (fibular) neuropathy is the most common mononeuropathy of the lower extremity. Despite this, there are surprisingly few studies on the topic, and a knowledge gap remains in the literature. As one attempts to address this knowledge gap, a core outcome set (COS) is needed to guide the planning phases of future studies to allow synthesis and comparability of these studies.

Hirayama Disease: Surgical Restoration of Hand Function.

Purpose: Hirayama disease (HD) is a rare, nonfamilial, self-limiting, progressive lower cervical myelopathy, resulting in debilitating distal upper-extremity motor deficits, mimicking high ulnar neuropathy, lower trunk brachial plexopathy, or C8-T1 radiculopathy. Although most literature focuses on pathophysiology and prevention of disease progression, there remains limited discussion regarding treatment to improve upper-extremity function in patients with stable disease. The upper-extremity manifestations of HD are reviewed along with surgical options for restoring hand function.

Development of a tibial intraneural ganglion cyst after surgery on a peroneal intraneural ganglion in a pediatric patient: further support for the articular origin of intraneural ganglion cysts. Illustrative case.

Background: The articular origin of intraneural cysts has been previously described and well supported. Intraneural ganglion cysts most commonly occur in adults and in the common peroneal nerve arising from the anterior aspect of the superior tibiofibular joint (STFJ).

Observations: The authors report a pediatric patient who developed a tibial intraneural cyst arising from the posterior aspect of the STFJ within months after surgical treatment of a peroneal intraneural cyst from the anterior aspect of the same joint.

Triceps-to-Biceps Tendon Transfer Technique for Restoration of Elbow Flexion in Adult Brachial Plexus Injury.

Restoration of elbow flexion is a priority in treating adult traumatic brachial plexus injuries. A tendon transfer is an ideal option for patients not candidates for reconstructive nerve surgery or free-functioning muscle transfer. For patients with a partial brachial plexus injury or a pan plexus injury with adequate recovered triceps function and loss of elbow flexion, a triceps-to-biceps tendon transfer is a nonmicrosurgical option to restore elbow flexion.

Superficial Branch of the Radial Nerve Versus Sural Nerve Grafting After Traumatic Adult Brachial Plexus Injury.

The purpose of this study was to compare two sources of nerve graft for brachial plexus reconstruction: the denervated superficial branch of the radial nerve (SBRN) and the sural nerve. Ninety-seven patients who underwent brachial plexus reconstruction with denervated SBRN nerve (24 patients with 24 grafts) or with sural nerve grafting (73 patients with 83 nerve grafts) were included. The two groups were compared with respect to postoperative muscle reinnervation, disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand (DASH) scores.

Complete encasement of the radial nerve by a giant lipoma: illustrative case.

Background: Among the spectrum of adipose lesions associated with peripheral nerves, complete circumferential encasement of the nerve by the lesion is a very rare entity. The authors report the first case of a giant lipoma that completely and circumferentially encased the radial nerve.

Observations: A 57-year-old woman presented with a large left-arm mass that she had noticed over a year following significant weight loss.

Survival after resection of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors: Introducing and validating a novel type-specific prognostic model.

Background: This study aimed to assess the performance of currently available risk calculators in a cohort of patients with malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) and to create an MPNST-specific prognostic model including type-specific predictors for overall survival (OS).

Methods: This is a retrospective multicenter cohort study of patients with MPNST from 11 secondary or tertiary centers in The Netherlands, Italy and the United States of America. All patients diagnosed with primary MPNST who underwent macroscopically complete surgical resection from 2000 to 2019 were included in this study.

Motor Examination of the Brachial Plexus.

Serial physical examination is often required in the evaluation of brachial plexus injuries. (Noland, 2019) A comprehensive evaluation that includes a thorough history, electrodiagnostic evaluation, and imaging studies, in addition to physical examination, can provide valuable information about the location of the lesion, prognosis for recovery, and whether surgical intervention is necessary. After brachial plexus reconstruction, physical examinations are also performed to document clinical improvement and identify any residual issues.

Precision oncology in neurofibromatosis type 1: quantification of differential sensitivity to selumetinib in plexiform neurofibromas using single-cell RNA sequencing.

Purpose: Selumetinib is an FDA-approved targeted therapy for plexiform neurofibromas in neurofibromatosis type 1(NF1) with durable response rates seen in most, but not all patients. In this proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNAseq) as a technique for quantifying drug response to selumetinib at the single cell level.

Methods: scRNAseq data from neurofibroma biopsies was obtained from a public genomics repository.

Neuromuscular choristoma-associated desmoid-type fibromatosis of the brachial plexus: Additional evidence to support a nerve-driven mechanism.

Background: We have recently described circumferential nerve involvement of neuromuscular choristoma associated with desmoid-type fibromatosis (NMC-DTF) in cases involving the sciatic nerve, supporting a nerve-derived mechanism for the DTF. We wondered whether a similar growth pattern occurs in cases involving the brachial plexus (BP).

Methods: We reviewed all available magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in patients diagnosed at our institution with NMC or NMC-DTF of the BP.

The paraneurium and the tumefactive appearance of peripheral nerve neurolymphomatosis: illustrative case.

Background: Peripheral neurolymphomatosis (NL) is an often-misdiagnosed condition characterized by lymphomatous infiltration within the peripheral nerves. Its rarity and complexity frequently result in delayed diagnosis and suboptimal patient outcomes. This study aims to elucidate the role of the paraneurium (circumneurium) in NL, emphasizing its diagnostic and therapeutic significance.

Injury and Biological Factors Impact Shoulder Function following Autogenous Grafting of Spinal Nerves for Pan-Brachial Plexus Reconstruction.

Background: Shoulder function after spinal nerve grafting in pan-brachial plexus injuries (pan-BPI) is not well described. The authors evaluated shoulder abduction (ABD) and external rotation (ER) after spinal nerve grafting to the suprascapular nerve, axillary nerve, or posterior division of the upper trunk and determined patient characteristics, injury severity and characteristics, and nerve graft factors that influenced outcomes.

Methods: A total of 362 patients undergoing pan-BPI reconstruction and spinal nerve grafting for shoulder reanimation in a single institution between 2001 and 2018 were reviewed.