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Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

In approximately 4-13 % of cases plating of the humerus for stabilizing a shaft fracture is complicated by a secondary lesion of the radial nerve. In the majority of cases this is due to intraoperative traction on the nerve. The compression of a radial nerve under an osteosynthesis plate is reported only rarely. This article presents the case of a spontaneous regeneration of a radial nerve despite ongoing compression by the surgical implant after compression plating of a humeral shaft fracture. Recommendations are given to avoid such an iatrogenic lesion of the radial nerve, which most commonly is not spontaneously reversible.

Objective: Restoration of active extension of wrist, thumb and digits by muscle-tendon transposition., Indications: Radial nerve palsy due to peripheral nerve injury. Peripheral nerve disease. Muscle or tendon injury. Restoration of wrist extension in high radial nerve palsy., Contraindications: Reversible distal radial nerve palsy, absence of suitable donor muscles, spasticity, limited range of motion of affected joints, extensive scarring and inappropriate soft tissue conditions, unjustifiable loss of function at donor site. Reinnervated donor muscles, progressive muscle disease, insufficient patient compliance., Surgical Technique: Dissection of the flexor carpi ulnaris, palmaris longus and pronator teres tendon insertion. Transposition of the tendons. Interweaving of tendons of the pronator teres and extensor carpi radialis brevis muscles, the extensor digitorum communis and flexor carpi ulnaris muscles, as well as the extensor pollicis longus and palmaris longus muscles using the Pulvertaft technique., Postoperative Management: 3 Weeks immobilization in forearm splint. Additional immobilization for 2 weeks at night. Subsequently, intensive physical and occupational therapy for another 4-6 weeks is required, starting 3 weeks postoperatively., Results: The procedure was carried out in 12 patients over the past 14 years. We treated proximal radial nerve palsy in nine cases. In accordance with the current medical literature, we consider the described motor replacement surgery a reliable procedure.

Besides carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel syndrome, other nerve compression or constriction syndromes exist at the upper extremity. Using the technique of endoscopically assisted decompression such rare nerve compression syndromes of the upper extremity can be treated. The technique of endoscopical decompression is presented in six patients with rare compression or hour-glass-like constriction syndromes at the upper extremity. According to the classification of Roles and Maudsley in 5 of 6 cases excellent results were recorded. All but one patient considered the results excellent. The poorest responder developed a CRPS II and refused postoperative physiotherapy. Endoscopically assisted decompression in rare compression syndrome of the upper extremity is highly appreciated by patients and provides excellent functional results.

Irreparable peripheral nerve palsies rarely present as neurological complications in infectious mononucleosis. A case of isolated proximal radial nerve palsy resulting from an acute infection with Epstein-Barr virus is reported. The hand function was restored by multiple tendon transfer surgery.

The wrist drop, also called carpoptosis or drop hand, is a common clinical presentation in case of peripheral damage to the radial nerve. But what about the picture of a bilateral finger/wrist drop?! We report the case of a 61-year-old female patient who was admitted to the hospital for myocardial infarction. Subsequently she developed a right dominant bilateral wrist drop. Further neurological examination revealed a positive Wartenberg sign pointing towards a central motoric dysfunction. The following native cerebral CT scan demonstrated bilateral hypodense lesions in both hand knobs in the precentral gyri. Subsequent MRI confirmed acute cerebral infarction in these two but also several other, clinically silent, locations. Further diagnostic work-up revealed a hypokinetic cardiac apex suggesting cardiac embolism to be the cause for cerebral thrombembolism and the clinically leading symptom of right-dominant bilateral finger/wrist drop. Besides the case presentation also the differential diagnosis and clinical test for diagnostic work-up of wrist drops are presented and discussed.

Background: With a prevalence from 11.8 to 18% no fracture is as often associated with nerve damage as the humeral shaft fracture. Whether the radial nerve should be surgically explored in association with a palsy in humeral shaft fractures in order to exclude an interposition or discontinuity is being discussed controversially. The aim of this study was to assess the strategies for primary care of radial nerve palsies associated with humeral shaft fractures in Germany., Material and Methods: In a standardised survey 495 traumatological and 134 neurosurgical clinics were interviewed regarding the treatment of primary radial nerve palsies after humeral shaft fractures. The distribution of the survey included all level-one trauma centres. Statistics were based on the supply strategies, the number of observed contusions, discontinuities and inter-position of the N. radialis in the fracture gap. Moreover, the results were recorded after primary neurorrhaphy., Results: The evaluable response rate to the questionnaire was 56% (university hospitals 77%, level-one trauma centres 63%, level-two trauma centres 70%, level-three trauma centres 44%). 6097 humeral shaft fractures have been treated per year, the incidence of primary radial nerve palsy was 8.6%. Regarding the management strategies, 59% of the hospitals advocated exploration of the nerve, while 25% reported that the decision depends on the individual case. 16% reject the exploration in case of a primary nerve palsy. In the case of an exploration, contusions (74%) of the nerve were largely seen, followed by nerve interpositions in the fracture gap (19%) and discontinuity (7%). In the case of neurorrhaphy, a partial or complete remission was found in 87% of cases., Discussion: Although a primary expectant procedure is recommended in the literature due to the high spontaneous remission rate of 90%, an early exploration of the nerve is often preferred in clinical practice. In these cases, the use of an interlocking intramedullary nail as a minimally invasive treatment option does not appear useful due to the direct exposure of the fracture zone and the radial nerve. Interestingly, the feared discontinuity occurs rarely. The impact of nerve interposition in the fracture gap without surgical exploration remains unclear due to the lack of visibility., Conclusion: There is no consensus concerning the treatment of radial nerve palsies after humeral shaft fractures in Germany. Discontinuities are rare, the rate of spontaneous recoveries is high. Whether and when an exploration of the radial nerve is obligatory in primary radial palsy remains unclear and should be clarified by prospective randomised trials., (© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

The supinator (tunnel) syndrome is a rare chronic compression syndrome of the posterior interosseous nerve. The tennis elbow or the lateral epicondylitis and the algetic supinator syndrome represent painful entities of the lateral epicondyle and inserting tendons which do not have anything to do with a compression syndrome of the radial nerve. Decompression of the interosseous posterior nerve therefore has to be abandoned in the therapy for lateral elbow pain.

Entrapment neuropathy of the upper extremities could be detected by electroneurophysiological investigations in one third of our patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These neuropathies are often overlooked and therefore not treated appropriately. The functional impairment of arms and hands should not be neglected. In this report, we summarize the symptoms, the diagnostic tools and the surgical treatment of entrapment neuropathies according to their topography. Typical cases are presented.

In liability cases caused by accidents, the actual compensation for consecutive sustained damage to the patients' health and pain is not sufficient. Moreover, besides payments for a loss of earning capacity, the compensation for loss of efficiency in daily life such as for domestic work might be necessary. Therefore, distinct indications for the expert's appraisal exist.

Endogenous lesions of the radial nerve at the upper arm level and in the canalis spiralis are exceptional. Entrapment of the radial nerve in the hiatus radialis following forced arm movements, stretching, or as a consequence of pathologies of the surrounding tissue is known. We observed two patients suffering from a painful subacute middle radial nerve palsy with complete axonal degeneration caused by a lesion at the hiatus radialis, demonstrated by EMG, sonography, MRI, and surgical exploration. Successful nerve repair, in one case with a nerve graft, was performed. In both cases the most appropriate explanation was a focal neuritis with swelling of the nerve followed by strangulation at the hiatus radialis. In one case acute neuroborreliosis was the reason for the neuritis.

In some entrapment neuropathies, the diagnosis is easily established on clinical grounds. The best example is the carpal tunnel syndrome, the most frequently diagnosed entrapment neuropathy. Other entrapment neuropathies are not clear-cut: There is doubt that the syndrome exists at all or its limits are poorly defined, or the frequency is rather variable from one medical center to another. In this situation, a clarification of the diagnostic criteria may be necessary, especially with regard to the most common and the most disputed nerve entrapments.

Concomittant lesions of neural structures represent a rare type of complications in Monteggia's fractures. In acute fractures spontaneous neurological remission usually occurs after reduction of the dislocated radial head. In the presented case a 33-year old man experienced a trady palsy of the posterior interosseus nerve 27 years after a Monteggia's fracture with the radial head left dislocated. Following a minimal trauma in badminton a neurological deficiency probably caused by distraction occurred and resulted in impairment of wrist extension and extension of the fingers. Initiated conservative treatment including intensive physiotherapy and electrotherapy for 4 months was unsuccessful. Consecutively the radial nerve was surgically exposed and released from an entrapping and thickened arcade of Frohse. The radial head was left dislocated. Full neurological recovery was obtained 9 months after surgery.

Important differential diagnoses to epicondylitis humeri radialis are the nerve compression syndromes of the elbow. After a long period of conservative treatment, paresis of the motor branch of nervus radialis in this case led to the diagnosis and surgical treatment showing an unknown submuscular lipoma as the cause of a supinator syndrome with paresis of the finger extensors. In cases of therapy-resistant pain of the elbow, especially resistant to the conservative therapy of an epicondylitis humeri radialis, a nontraumatic supinator syndrome should be considered as a differential diagnosis. A tumor as the cause of a compression syndrome of the motor branch of the nervus radialis is very rare.

Both radial tunnel syndrome and posterior interosseous nerve compression syndrome are caused by compression of the posterior interosseous nerve. Posterior interosseous nerve (PIN) compression syndrome is a rare condition--less than 10 percent of our cases of PIN-compression showed signs of palsy--and must be differentiated from tendinous lesions. From 1992 to 1997, we decompressed the PIN using an anterior approach in nine cases because of palsy without a history of trauma. Only one patient was lost to follow-up. Our study indicates that the results of operative decompression of the PIN depend on the time interval between first symptoms of palsy and operation. On the other hand, some cases of posterior interosseous nerve compression syndrome show spontaneous recovery. We recommend operative decompression of the PIN if incomplete palsy worsens or if complete palsy persists for more than 12 weeks.

Both radial tunnel syndrome and posterior interosseous nerve (PIN) compression syndrome are caused by compression of the posterior interosseous nerve. There is a controversy about certain features of PIN compression especially with regard to diagnostic criteria and therapy as well as differentiation from tennis elbow. From 1992 to 1997, we operated 110 patients because of PIN compression. Diagnosis was based on clinical examination only. As a rule, we decompressed the PIN directly using an anterior approach. With regard to radial tunnel syndrome, we could review 69 from 103 operations with an average follow-up of 41 months. Using the criteria originally proposed by Roles and Maudsley, only 60% showed excellent or good results. The mean DASH score was 32. Recompression of the PIN by scarring was found in as much as 17% of patients and proved to be a serious complication of direct decompression of the PIN. Furthermore, 52% of our patients operated on because of PIN compression suffered from tennis elbow as well. We therefore believe that radial tunnel syndrome is a specific form of tennis elbow. From an anatomical point of view, the inseparable origin of the radial wrist extensors and supinator muscle seems to link tennis elbow and radial tunnel syndrome. To avoid recompression of the PIN by scarring, we have abandoned direct decompression and now routinely use Wilhelm's denervation procedure for the treatment of tennis elbow as well as radial tunnel syndrome. This procedure indirectly decompresses the PIN by cutting the superficial origin of the supinator muscle with consecutive relaxation of Frohse's arcade. Preliminary results are promising and show improvement of preoperative neurologic status by indirect decompression.