Nerve Conduction Studies of the Dorsal Cutaneous Branch of the Ulnar.

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  The Utility of Dorsal Cutaneous Sensory Branch of the Ulnar Nerve Conduction Studies in the Diagnosis and Grading of Ulnar Neuropathies

• IRAS ID

  230712

• Contact name

  Stefano Seri

• Sponsor organisation

  Aston University

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 5 months, 30 days

• Research summary

  The ulnar nerve is one of the main nerves that supplies motor (movement) and sensory (feeling) function to the hand. Unfortunately it’s common for this nerve to get trapped and damaged as it travels down the arm; this is known as an ulnar neuropathy and usually occurs as it passes through the elbow or, less commonly, through the wrist.

  The best way to diagnose an ulnar neuropathy is to test the nerve with small electric pulses; this is known as a Nerve Conduction Study (NCS). Although the sensitivity of the test is generally high the site and severity of ulnar nerve damage can be unclear.

  The Dorsal Cutaneous Branch (DCB) of the ulnar nerve stems from the nerve after the elbow but before the wrist, in theory this means that if it’s impaired the damage must be in the elbow and not the wrist. We would like to see if this is a reliable differential by testing the DCB in adult patients referred by hospital consultants to the Clinical Neurophysiology Department at Nottingham’s Queens Medical Centre for NCS because of clinically suspected ulnar neuropathies. These consultants will already be well versed in what NCS involve, however prior to the project commencing the study protocol and patient information sheet will be distributed to them. Additionally by comparing responses from the DCB to responses from other routinely studied nerve branches we might be able to grade the level of overall damage more precisely.
  
  We hope that both of these outcomes will reduce the chances of a patient receiving inappropriate therapy. For example an operation at the elbow will not improve symptoms if the damage is in fact at the wrist and treating a relatively minor neuropathy with surgery rather than none invasive options such as splinting (and vice versa) is clearly not optimal.

• REC name

  North East - Tyne & Wear South Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  17/NE/0316

• Date of REC Opinion

  11 Oct 2017

• REC opinion

  Favourable Opinion