Biomaterial Database

Ultrasound-Guided Electrodes for Conduction Studies of the Saphenous Nerve. 2017

Maria E Evangelopoulos, and Sebastian Humpert, and Kai M Rösler

*Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; and †Department of Neurology, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.

OBJECTIVE Saphenous nerve conduction studies are difficult, because the nerve is hard to localize and evoked responses are small. Ultrasound imaging may assist in the accurate localization and optimal positioning of surface (SE) and needle electrodes (NE). METHODS The study population included 39 subjects and was divided into two groups. Group A consisted of 20 healthy subjects, whereas group B of 19 patients with polyneuropathies. Orthodromic conduction was measured by distal supramaximal nerve stimulation. Surface electrode and NE recordings were compared. RESULTS In the control group, SEs recorded responses in 17 of 20 healthy subjects, whereas NEs in 19. In the patients' group, SEs recorded responses in 7 of 19 patients, whereas NEs in 16. In all healthy subjects and patients, sensory nerve action potentials recorded by NEs were significantly larger than those obtained by SEs (healthy subjects: 5.85 ± 3.01 μV vs. 1.98 ± 1.37 μV, P < 0.0001; patients 3.05 ± 2.35 μV vs. 0.71 ± 1.14 μV, t-test P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS Ultrasound guidance allows precise electrode positioning for saphenous nerve electrophysiological testing. Amplitudes of the recorded sensory nerve action potentials are clearly higher with ultrasound-guided needle than with surface recordings.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D009431	Neural Conduction	The propagation of the NERVE IMPULSE along the nerve away from the site of an excitation stimulus.	Nerve Conduction,Conduction, Nerve,Conduction, Neural,Conductions, Nerve,Conductions, Neural,Nerve Conductions,Neural Conductions
D004568	Electrodiagnosis	Diagnosis of disease states by recording the spontaneous electrical activity of tissues or organs or by the response to stimulation of electrically excitable tissue.	Electrodiagnoses
D005260	Female		Females
D005267	Femoral Nerve	A nerve originating in the lumbar spinal cord (usually L2 to L4) and traveling through the lumbar plexus to provide motor innervation to extensors of the thigh and sensory innervation to parts of the thigh, lower leg, and foot, and to the hip and knee joints.	Femoral Nerves,Nerve, Femoral,Nerves, Femoral
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly
D014463	Ultrasonography	The visualization of deep structures of the body by recording the reflections or echoes of ultrasonic pulses directed into the tissues. Use of ultrasound for imaging or diagnostic purposes employs frequencies ranging from 1.6 to 10 megahertz.	Echography,Echotomography,Echotomography, Computer,Sonography, Medical,Tomography, Ultrasonic,Ultrasonic Diagnosis,Ultrasonic Imaging,Ultrasonographic Imaging,Computer Echotomography,Diagnosis, Ultrasonic,Diagnostic Ultrasound,Ultrasonic Tomography,Ultrasound Imaging,Diagnoses, Ultrasonic,Diagnostic Ultrasounds,Imaging, Ultrasonic,Imaging, Ultrasonographic,Imaging, Ultrasound,Imagings, Ultrasonographic,Imagings, Ultrasound,Medical Sonography,Ultrasonic Diagnoses,Ultrasonographic Imagings,Ultrasound, Diagnostic,Ultrasounds, Diagnostic