eMedicine Specialties > Orthopedic Surgery > Hand & Upper Extremity

Ulnar Nerve Entrapment: Follow-up

Author: Mark Stern, MD, Former Chief, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Coauthor(s): Scott P Steinmann, MD, Assistant Professor of Orthopedics, Mayo Medical School; Consulting Staff, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic of Rochester
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Sep 21, 2009

Outcome and Prognosis

With appropriate decompression performed in a timely manner, the result of surgery for ulnar nerve entrapment should be a return to normal function. If decompression in situ is performed appropriately, return to normal function is almost immediate. With transposition of the nerve following decompression, postoperative immobilization, and the rehabilitative process, 3-6 months may pass before the patient is returned to normal function.

In chronic palsy (>3-4 mo in duration) associated with pain, muscle weakness, and/or atrophy, surgical outcome is less certain. Duration of entrapment and severity of numbness and muscle weakness are important factors in prognosis. Improvement may be limited or may not occur following decompression and transposition in these chronic cases, but further progression can be halted with proper decompression.

Future and Controversies

The only controversy is over which type of transposition produces the best result. At this time, each procedure has advocates. Results appear to be satisfactory in all 3 procedures.

 


More on Ulnar Nerve Entrapment

Overview: Ulnar Nerve Entrapment
Workup: Ulnar Nerve Entrapment
Treatment: Ulnar Nerve Entrapment
Follow-up: Ulnar Nerve Entrapment
References
Further Reading
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References

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Further Reading

Related eMedicine topics

 Nerve Entrapment Syndromes

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

Elbow and Forearm Overuse Injuries

Hand, Nerve Compression Syndromes: Upper Extremity

Ulnar Neuropathy

Acute Nerve Injury

Clinical guidelines

Chronic elbow pain.
American College of Radiology - Medical Specialty Society. 1998 (revised 2005). 5 pages. NGC:004605

Elbow disorders.
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine - Medical Specialty Society. 1997 (revised 2007). 67 pages. NGC:005681

European Federation of Neurological Societies/Peripheral Nerve Society Guideline on management of multifocal motor neuropathy. Report of a joint task force of the European Federation of Neurological Societies and the Peripheral Nerve Society.
European Federation of Neurological Societies - Medical Specialty Society
Peripheral Nerve Society - Disease Specific Society. 2006 Mar. 8 pages. NGC:005171

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Keywords

ulnar nerve entrapment, cubital tunnel syndrome, ulnar tunnel syndrome, ulnar neuropathy, ulnar neuropathy, Guyon canal entrapment, decompression in situ, decompression with anterior transposition, acute nerve injury, elbow and forearm, elbow dislocation, nerve entrapment, ulnar nerve compression, entrapment neuropathy, nerve compression

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

Mark Stern, MD, Former Chief, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Mark Stern, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Medical Association, California Medical Association, and Western Orthopaedic Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Scott P Steinmann, MD, Assistant Professor of Orthopedics, Mayo Medical School; Consulting Staff, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo Clinic of Rochester
Scott P Steinmann, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and Minnesota Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Joseph E Sheppard, MD, Associate Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery, Chief of Hand and Upper Extremity Service, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Arizona Health Sciences Center, University Physicians Healthcare
Joseph E Sheppard, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Clinical Orthopaedic Society, and Western Orthopaedic Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Managing Editor

Michael Yaszemski, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Bioengineering, Mayo Foundation, Mayo Medical School
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Dinesh Patel, MD, FACS, Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School; Chief of Arthroscopic Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital
Dinesh Patel, MD, FACS is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, American College of International Physicians, and American College of Surgeons
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Mary Ann E Keenan, MD, Professor, Vice Chair for Graduate Medical Education, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; Chief of Neuro-Orthopedics Program, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Mary Ann E Keenan, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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