Analysis of the frequency of Martin–Gruber anastomosis in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome
Abstract Background Martin–Gruber anastomosis (MGA) is one of the most common anomalous innervations of the upper limb. It may alter the usual clinical picture and electrophysiological characteristics of median nerve (MN) injury or ulnar nerve (UN) injury. Aim To determine the mutual relation betwee...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SpringerOpen
2022-10-01
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| Series: | Egyptian Rheumatology and Rehabilitation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s43166-022-00156-8 |
| Summary: | Abstract Background Martin–Gruber anastomosis (MGA) is one of the most common anomalous innervations of the upper limb. It may alter the usual clinical picture and electrophysiological characteristics of median nerve (MN) injury or ulnar nerve (UN) injury. Aim To determine the mutual relation between MGA and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) regarding their association and to explore whether certain patterns of MGA are more prevalent in patients with CTS. Methods This study included 100 forearms of 64 subjects. They were 37 subjects complaining of unilateral or bilateral clinical symptoms of idiopathic CTS according to the criteria of the American Academy of Neurology and 27 subjects healthy or having traumatic lesions in either the upper or lower limbs with no neurological disorders. Electrophysiological studies of the MN and UN for the confirmation of CTS as well as the validation of MGA were done. Results By electrophysiological examination, MGA was encountered in 22% forearms of all the studied groups, mostly females. MGA type II and type III were the commoner types, each occurring in 40.9%, while type I and type IV each occurred in 9.1%. MGA type II was prevalent in the control group, while type III associated subjects with only clinical CT symptoms. Conclusion MGA is not prevalent in patients with CTS. Different types of MGA are present in CTS, but MGA was not implicated in the occurrence, severity, or electrodiagnostic features of CTS. |
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| ISSN: | 1110-161X 2090-3235 |