Ultrasonography as a diagnostic modality in cases of peripheral nerve injuries: Is it worth?

Background: There are many etiological causes of peripheral nerve injury as obstetric traction trauma, crushing accidental nerve injury and penetrating injury by sharp or blunt objects. Between all polytraumatic injuries, traumatic peripheral nerve ones constitute at least 2-3%.Ultrasonography is a non invasive easily applicable imaging tool capable of drawing the peripheral nerves properly.
Aim of the work: We are aiming for studying the applicability and accuracy of the ultrasonography as a diagnostic modality in cases of peripheral nerve injures and how much the preoperative US imaging data of the nerve correlated with the intra-operative one.
Methods: Prospective study conducted in Department of Neurosurgery Zagazig University Hospitals. It included 15 cases (20 nerves) of post traumatic peripheral nerve injury, between January 2018 and June 2019.
Results: 15 patients, 9 males and 6 female. Age ranging from 10 to 65 years, right side affected in 12 nerves(60%) and 8(40%) nerves was at the left side ,isolated nerve injury was present in 10(67%) patients and two nerve injuries in 5(33%) patients. The success of preoperative nerve ultrasonography in localizing the lesions of the nerves was 90%, to descript the injury and its architecture was 85% and foreign body detection was 75%.
Conclusion: Ultrasonongraphy of the peripheral nerves is considered a complementary diagnostic modality for electro diagnostic studies for proper evaluation of the peripheral nerve injury as regard to the nerve location, course, proximal and distal ends, continuity and the surrounding tissues.
Keywords: Ultrasonography; pre-operative; peripheral nerve injuries