Canalicolar Syndromes Around the Elbow
摘要
Canalicular syndromes are compressive neuropathies that are among orthopedics’ most common pathologies, that have their origin in nerve’s most vulnerability areas, because of their passage through “tunnels,” with limited space for excursion; therefore, even a small change in tunnel’s pressure can lead to a compressive damage on nerves. The increase of pressure inside the tunnel can be secondary to the increase of the volume of anatomical structures which lay inside or to the reduction of tunnel’s dimensions itself. Compression of nerve itself generate a compression of vasa nervorum (nerve’s blood vessels) and subsequent reduction of neural microcapillary flow. That creates relative anoxia and is followed by an alteration of capillary permeability, endoneural edema, and more compression of neural microcapillary flow. Anoxia increases neural membrane’s permeability, which cause perinevrium to thicken. These structural changes make the nerve more susceptible to compression’s ischemia. If the compression persists, it can lead to the fiber’s demyelination, then axonal degeneration, which starts as localized, and then progressively becomes more diffuse. External nerve fascicles start this process before than internal ones, and the symptoms develop relating to the injured structure. Nerve injuries (compressive, degenerative, and traumatic) are commonly classified with Seddon and Sunderland classification. In systemic conditions, patient’s specific risk factors can worsen or exacerbate a compressive neuropathy, independently of the local injury. For example, diabetes, obesity, thyroid dysfunction (hypothyroidism, particularly), kidney dysfunction, smoking, and alcoholism are conditions that may worsen a compressive neuropathy. The aim of this chapter is to address the main compressive syndromes of the major nerve trunks around the elbow. At the elbow, there are three main nerve trunks: ulnar, median, and radial nerve, which can be injured by compressive syndromes. Uncommon, but also possible, is the compression of lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve (LABC), a sensory nerve which is the continuation of musculocutaneous nerve, at the lateral edge of the biceps brachii muscle. It is important to focus on the fact that compression on the same nerve can happen at more than one level on the same conduction path. Further compression around the elbow does not exclude the presence of another compression proximally (nerve roots and brachial plexus) or distally (forearm and hand). This phenomenon is called “double-crush syndrome” and sometimes can explain the persistence of symptoms after treating a compressive syndrome or the presence of an uncommon presentation.