Management of hand spasticity with ultrasound-guided ethyl alcohol injection to the deep branch of the ulnar nerve

• Main Authors: Min Cheol Chang, Mathieu Boudier-Revéret
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2021-01-01
• Series: Journal of Medical Ultrasound
• Subjects: alcohol; deep branch of ulnar nerve; neurolysis; spasticity; stroke
• Online Access: http://www.jmuonline.org/article.asp?issn=0929-6441;year=2021;volume=29;issue=3;spage=207;epage=208;aulast=Chang

Patients with stroke commonly experience limb spasticity, which can prevent functional recovery and cause functional disability, due to muscle tightness and joint stiffness in the affected limb. Using the ability of ultrasound (US) to visualize nerves, we successfully performed US-guided neurolysis of the motor branch of the ulnar nerve in Guyon's canal, while avoiding injury of its sensory branch, in a 63-year-old woman with upper limb poststroke spasticity. We believe that our method has the merit of precluding the development of neuropathic pain, following injury to the sensory branch of the ulnar nerve. Moreover, our method reduces operation time and perioperative pain.