[Young adults' lower limb neuroconduction study reference values].

Barrera-Castro Sandra M, Ortiz-Corredor Fernando

Departamento de Medicina Física y Rehabilitación, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia.

(CIFEL), Centro De Investigación En Fisiatría y Electrodiagnóstico, Instituto de Ortopedia Infantil Roosevelt, Departamento de Medicina Física y Rehabilitación, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia,

Rev Salud Publica (Bogota). 2014 May-Jun;16(3):443-52.

OBJECTIVE

Establishing reference values for neuroconduction studies regarding the peroneal, tibial and sural nerves in a group of young adults.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Neuroconduction was tested (also known as nerve conduction velocity (NCV) tests) on 155 asymptomatic subjects' tibial, peroneal and sural nerves using current conventional techniques, after informed written consent had been obtained. Reference values were obtained and presented as averages, standard deviations and percentiles, along with their correlation with parameters such as age, weight and height, via bivariate analysis of linear correlation using Spearman's rank correlation test.

RESULTS

Peroneal nerve average distal latency was 3.6 ms (0.4 SD), amplitude 6.1 mV (2.0 SD) and conduction velocity 54.8m/s (4.2 SD). Average tibial nerve distal latency was 3.5 ms (0.4 SD), amplitude 16.7mV (4.7 SD) and conduction velocity 53 m/s (3.8 SD). Average sural nerve peak latency was 3.4 ms (0.3 SD) and amplitude 21.3V (5.0 SD). Peroneal and tibial nerve upper limit of normal side to side variation was 0.8ms (average+2DE) and 0.4 ms (average + 2 SD) for the sural nerve. A statistically significant relationship was found with variables such as weight, height and age.

CONCLUSIONS

The values so obtained could be used in Colombia's electrophysiology laboratories as reference in evaluating patients' suffering musculoskeletal pathologies and different types of polyneuropathy.