Operative treatment of ulnar nerve neuropathy in the elbow region. A clinical and electrophysiological study.

Thirty-three patients with ulnar nerve neuropathy due to a lesion in the ulnar groove were operated upon during a 5-year period. All the patients were analyzed preoperatively. One-third of the patients had a history of alcohol abuse. Twenty-five of the patients were subjected to anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve. The results after transposition have been compiled according to etiology, duration, age and alcohol abuse. All seven patients with only subjective symptoms improved; 11 out of 18 (61 per cent) with motor and/or sensory loss also improved but only six (33 per cent) recovered completely. Overall, 21 patients (84 per cent) were improved by the operation. In 11 of the transposition cases the ulnar nerve was examined electrophysiologically before and after operation and an improvement of the motor conduction velocity within the elbow segment of the nerve was found in 10 cases.