Journal of Hand Therapy
Volume 18, Issue 2 , Pages 230-240, April 2005

Evaluation of Nerve Injury and Nerve Compression in the Upper Quadrant

  • Christine B. Novak, PT, MS

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence and reprint requests to Christine B. Novak, PT, MS, Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110

Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Program in Occupational Therapy and Program in Physical Therapy, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri

Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri

Abstract 

Evaluation of the patient with nerve compression and/or nerve injury should include a complete motor and sensory evaluation to establish the level and degree of injury and/or compression. No one test has been accepted as the standard procedure for the evaluation of sensibility. The various sensory tests available for patient assessment will yield different information regarding the integrity of the quickly and slowly adapting sensory receptors. Tests such as provocative maneuvers and sensory thresholds (cutaneous and vibration) will be more sensitive in the evaluation of patients with nerve compression, and other discriminatory measures will yield better functional information in patients with nerve injury.

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 This article has been modified from Novak CB. Evaluation of the nerve injured patient. Clin Plast Surg. 2003;30:127–38, with permission.

PII: S0894-1130(05)00042-6

doi:10.1197/j.jht.2005.02.002

Journal of Hand Therapy
Volume 18, Issue 2 , Pages 230-240, April 2005

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