Shoulder pain is a common symptom, resulting not only from bone and shoulder
joint diseases, but also from neurogenic lesions. Entrapment neuropathy
of the suprascapular nerve also causes shoulder symptoms. Conduction of
the suprascapular nerve was studied in 12 healthy control subjects and
25 patients suffering from shoulder pain and/or dysfunction. Surface stimulation
was performed at Erb's point, and compound muscle action potentials(M waves)
were recorded from the supraspinatus and the infraspinatus muscles with
concentric needle electrodes. To determine the optimal site for recording
M waves from the infraspinatus muscle, simultaneous multi-channel recordings
of M waves using pairs of surface electrodes were obtained from different
sites over the infraspinatus muscle.
In two patients, latency of the M waves to the infraspinatus muscle was
prolonged, whereas that to the supraspinatus muscle was normal. These findings
indicate entrapment neuropathy at the spinoglenoid notch. In three patients,
the latency to the infraspinatus and supraspinatus muscles was prolonged.
These findings are compatible with entrapment neuropathy at the suprascapular
notch. The latency to the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles was prolonged
in patients with brachial plexus injury and in those with suprascapular
nerve injury. In patients with myopathy, those with neuralgic amyotrophy
and those with cervical radiculopathy, the latency was normal.
Thus, conduction studies of the suprascapular nerve using multiple-channel recordings are useful, especially for the diagnosis of entrapment neuropathy of the suprascapular nerve.
[Rinsho Byori 50 : 600`604, 2002]
*Department of Laboratory Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto 606-8507
yKey Wordsznerve conduction studies(_o`±ͺθΈ)Csuprascapular nerve(¨bγ_o)Centrap-ment neuropathy(iN«½_oαQ)Cmultiple-channel recording(½`lL^)
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E-mail :jito@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp