Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2014, Vol. 9 ›› Issue (6): 582-588.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.130095

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Follow-up evaluation with ultrasonography of peripheral nerve injuries after an earthquake

Man Lu 1, Yue Wang 2, Linxian Yue 1, Jack Chiu 3, Fanding He 1, Xiaojing Wu 2, Bin Zang 2, Bin Lu 2, Xiaoke Yao 2, Zirui Jiang 4   

  1. 1 Department of Ultrasound, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
    2 Department of Orthopedics, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
    3 Department of Radiology, University Hospital, University of Western Ontario, Ontario, Canada
    4 Chengdu Jiaxiang Foreign Languages School, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
  • Received:2014-02-26 Online:2014-03-22 Published:2014-03-22
  • Contact: Yue Wang, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Orthopedics, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, Chengdu 610072, Sichuan Province, China, wangyue@medmail.com.cn.
  • Supported by:

    This study was supported by a grant from the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program), No. 2008AA022400; a grant from the Sichuan Technology Department of Sichuan Province, No. 2009Y0174; a grant from the Chengdu Technology Department of Chengdu City, No. (2012) 530021.

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Abstract:

Published data on earthquake-associated peripheral nerve injury is very limited. Ultrasonography has been proven to be efficient in the clinic to diagnose peripheral nerve injury. The aim of this study was to assess the role of ultrasound in the evaluation of persistent peripheral nerve injuries 1 year after the Wenchuan earthquake. Thirty-four patients with persistent clinical symptoms and neurologic signs of impaired nerve function were evaluated with sonography prior to surgical repair. Among 34 patients, ultrasonography showed that 48 peripheral nerves were entrapped, and 11 peripheral nerves were disrupted. There was one case of misdiagnosis on ultrasonography. The concordance rate of ultrasonographic findings with those of surgical findings was 98%. A total of 48 involved nerves underwent neurolysis and the symptoms resolved. Only five nerves had scar tissue entrapment. Preoperative and postoperative clinical and ultrasonographic results were concordant, which verified that ultrasonography is useful for preoperative diagnosis and postoperative evaluation of injured peripheral nerves.

Key words: nerve regeneration, earthquake, Wenchuan, ultrasound, peripheral nerve, nerve injury, repair, follow-up, 863 Program, neural regeneration