Paralysis Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Paralysis, including details on treatment, diagnosis, facial paralysis, sleep paralysis.

Radial nerve palsy after arthroscopic anterior capsular release for degenerative elbow contracture.

Park JY, Cho CH, Choi JH, Lee ST, Kang CH

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Kunkok Hospital, Konkuk University, School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. drpark@chol.com

Because the use of arthroscopy has increased recently for the treatment of elbow lesions, reports of complications have become more common. Nerve injury after arthroscopic anterior capsular release is an extremely rare complication, with 4 reported cases worldwide. We usually use a sharp-tipped electrocautery device with a 0.5-mm diameter during arthroscopic capsular release. In this case, because the former was not prepared, we used a ball-tipped electrocautery device with a 3-mm diameter. Herein, we experienced a case of radial nerve palsy after arthroscopic anterior capsular release using a ball-tipped electrocautery device on a degenerative elbow contracture. We supposed that the electrocautery device caused transiently thermal injury of the radial nerve despite proper portal entry site, intra-articular distension, and gentle arthroscopic manipulation. Elbow arthroscopy remains a technically difficult procedure with the potential for neurologic complications. To perform surgery safely, knowledge of the regional neuroanatomy and a thorough understanding of proper instrument usage are required.

Published 7 December 2007 in Arthroscopy, 23(12): 1360.e1-3.
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