RESUMO
INTRODUCTION/AIMS: Nerve ultrasound is useful in the diagnosis and follow-up of peripheral nerve disorders in children. The aim of this study was to explore and analyze the current literature on nerve cross-sectional area (CSA) in healthy children, with the goal of presenting reference values and discussing their implications. METHODS: We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies that reported ultrasound measurements of the upper or lower limb nerves in healthy children through a search of Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and Scopus. RESULTS: Sixteen studies with measurements of 10 nerves covering a total of 5149 nerves measured in 823 healthy children (445 boys and 378 girls) were included. Mean nerve CSA increased with age in the median nerve at the middle and lower third of the upper arm, mid-forearm, and distal wrist crease, the ulnar nerve at the middle third of the upper arm and elbow, the radial nerve at the spiral groove, and the tibial nerve at the popliteal fossa. Growth charts for nerve CSA for different age groups were developed. DISCUSSION: This meta-analysis provides robust reference values for nerve CSA at different sites in children, and this can inform clinical practice and assist in identifying nerve enlargement. Moreover, it identifies the strength and quality of the current published data. We recommend future studies divide their samples into smaller age subgroups and standardize the anatomic site of measurement.