Yao Buwen, Gan Kayla, Lee Annie, Roll Shawn C
Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.
J Diagn Med Sonogr. 2020;2020. doi: 10.1177/8756479319898471. Epub 2020 Jan 8.
This study aimed to develop a subjective categorization of nerve shape and to examine the relationship of shape categorizations to measurement of nerve circularity.
Wrists were evaluated with sonography in healthy participants. Images of the median nerve were obtained in the transverse plane at the level of pisiform with the fingers resting, gripping, and pinching. Nerves were categorized as ovoid, angular, or irregular, and the cross-sectional area and perimeter were measured to calculate nerve circularity.
Across 167 participants, the median nerve shifted from being primarily ovoid at rest to angular shaped when the fingers were in a full fist or pinching. Approximately three-quarters of subjects exhibited a shape change during dynamic movement. Irregular nerves had the lowest circularity values; however, the majority of nerves had similar circularity measures despite having different shapes.
Subjective categorization of shape has the potential to be a valid technique for evaluation of the median nerve using sonography, and this evaluation may provide additional information regarding nerve compression that is not fully captured by a circularity measure. Further investigation is needed to determine how these two techniques may be best used individually or together to advance clinical diagnosis, prevention, and rehabilitative interventions.
本研究旨在建立一种神经形态的主观分类方法，并探讨形态分类与神经圆度测量之间的关系。
对健康参与者的手腕进行超声评估。在豌豆骨水平的横断面上获取正中神经的图像，分别在手指放松、抓握和捏取时进行。将神经分为椭圆形、角形或不规则形，并测量其横截面积和周长以计算神经圆度。
在167名参与者中，正中神经在手指处于全握拳或捏取状态时，从主要为椭圆形转变为角形。约四分之三的受试者在动态运动过程中出现形态变化。不规则神经的圆度值最低；然而，尽管神经形状不同，但大多数神经的圆度测量值相似。
形态的主观分类有可能成为一种使用超声评估正中神经的有效技术，并且这种评估可能提供有关神经压迫的额外信息，而这些信息无法通过圆度测量完全获取。需要进一步研究以确定如何最好地单独或联合使用这两种技术来推进临床诊断、预防和康复干预。
