Radial neuropathy
| Radial neuropathy | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Radial mononeuropathy, Saturday night palsy |
 | |
| The suprascapular, axillary, and radial nerves. | |
| Specialty | Neurology  |
| Symptoms | Wrist drop[1] |
| Causes | Broken bone, Direct nerve injury[2] |
| Diagnostic method | MRI, Ultrasound[3] |
| Treatment | Corticosteroid, Pain medication[2] |
Radial neuropathy is a type of
trauma to the radial nerve that extends the length of the arm.[3] It is known as transient paresthesia when sensation is temporarily abnormal.[4]
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of radial neuropathy vary depending on the severity of the trauma; however, common symptoms may include
numbness on the back of the hand and wrist, and inability to voluntarily straighten the fingers. Loss of wrist extension is due to loss of the ability to move of the posterior compartment of forearm muscles.[3][1] In the event of lacerations to the wrist area the symptom would therefore be sensory. Additionally, depending on the type of trauma, other nerves may be affected such as the median nerve and axillary nerves.[5]
Causes
There are many ways to acquire radial nerve neuropathy, including:[6]
- Upper arm - a fracture of the bone
- Elbow - entrapment of the nerve
- Wrist - soft-tissuemasses
- Axilla - here the most common cause is compression. However, a dislocation of the humerus is a possible factor as well. It could also be due to brachial plexus compression.
Mechanism
The mechanism of radial neuropathy is such that it can cause focal
axonal degeneration.[7] These would be caused via laceration or compression of the nerve in question.[8]
Diagnosis
Radial neuropathy may be diagnosed using
Treatment
The treatment and management of radial neuropathy can be achieved via the following methods:[3][9][10]
- Physical therapy or occupational therapy
- Surgery (depending on the specific area and extent of damage)
- Tendon transfer (the origin remains the same but insertion is moved)
Prognosis
Radial neuropathy is not necessarily permanent, though there could be partial loss of movement or
nerve conduction studies are typically performed to diagnose the extent and distribution of the damage, and to help with prognosis for recovery.[medical citation needed]. A compressive neuropraxia of the radial nerve (Saturday night palsy) takes between 2 and 12 weeks to recover. It is a common misunderstanding to attribute severe motor weakness of the hand lasting only minutes to hours to radial nerve neuropraxia [1]
Culture and society
There are a number of terms used to describe radial nerve injuries, which are dependent on the causation factor such as:
- Honeymoon palsy from another individual sleeping on and compressing one's arm overnight.[11]
- Saturday night palsy from falling asleep with one's arm hanging over the arm rest of a chair, compressing the radial nerve.[12]
- Saturnine palsy from lead poisoning[13]
- Squash palsy, from traction forces associated with the sport squash, happens to squash players during periods between matches.[14]
See also
References
- ^ PMID 24851150.
- ^ a b c "Radial nerve dysfunction: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia". medlineplus.gov. NIH. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d e "Radial Mononeuropathy: Background, Pathophysiology, Epidemiology". Mdscape. eMedicine. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
- ^ "Paresthesia Information Page: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)". www.ninds.nih.gov. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 18 August 2016.
- ISBN 9780323222723. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ^ "Radial Nerve Lesion (C5-C8) Professional Reference | Patient". Patient. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- PMID 22232700. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ISBN 9781617050077. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ^ "Tendon Transfers: History, Concepts, Timing of Tendon Transfer". 2017-05-02.
- ISBN 978-1455737413. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ISBN 978-81-8448-744-2.
- ISBN 978-1437708936.
- . Retrieved October 26, 2023.
- ^ "Medscape /Axillary Nerve Injury Associated With Sports". www.medscape.com. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
Further reading
- Cartwright, Michael S.; Yoon, Joon Shik; Lee, Kyu Ho; Deal, Nicole; Walker, Francis O. (1 April 2011). "Diagnostic Ultrasound for Traumatic Radial Neuropathy". American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 90 (4): 342–343. PMID 20531154.
- Tuncel, Umut; Turan, Aydin; Kostakoglu, Naci (1 January 2011). "Acute closed radial nerve injury". Asian Journal of Neurosurgery. 6 (2): 106–109. PMID 22347334.
External links
Scholia has a topic profile for Radial neuropathy.
