Upper extremity neuropathies in patients with spinal cord injuries.

ABSTRACT

We present a cross-sectional study designed to screen and evaluate 19 male patients with acute or chronic spinal cord injury for the presence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and radial neuropathies (RNP) in order to establish the prevalence of CTS and RNP, to compare characteristics of persons with spinal cord injury who do not have these neuropathies, to evaluate the effects of their activities and to define the causation of these neuropathies in order to prevent their occurrence during and after the rehabilitation process. Patients admitted to the Spinal Cord Injury Service with acute and chronic spinal injury (below C3) were included in the study. The level of activity was determined with the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) Score. Patients underwent neurological examination. Neurophysiological studies were done in all cases to determine the presence, nature and duration of CTS and RNP. As longevity of the spinal cord injured population is increasing, heightened awareness of the prevalence of CTS and RNP are necessary to develop strategies to prevent and manage these neuropathies which may adversely affect the patient's quality of life. Of 19 patients studied, three had clinical CTS, confirmed by neurophysiological had no neuropathies and five had non-CTS neuropathies. No RNP was found, but one patient in the non-CTS group had symptomatic left ulnar neuropathy also confirmed by neurophysiological exam.