The performance and usefulness of nerve conduction studies in the orthopedic office

The ability to determine conduction velocity in peripheral nerves provides the orthopedic surgeon with valuable information, aiding assessment of patients with perplexing problems and atypical clinical findings. Use of the study transcends the evaluation of patients with compression neuropathies. The clinician can more effectively grade and follow the clinical course of nerve injuries, evaluate anomalies of innervation, and graphically confirm the results of nerve repairs and nerve grafts. The digital electroneurometer provides a simple, painless, and inexpensive means for determination of distal motor latency in peripheral nerves. Its advantages relate to its small size, accessibility, and simplicity of operation. The digital electroneurometer does not replace standard testing procedures. The muscle action potential is not visualized; amplitude and duration cannot be measured. Sensory latency determinations cannot be performed. Though its limitations are clear, the digital electroneurometer can provide valuable information to the orthopedic surgeon in his office. Further clinical trials are necessary to confirm the material in this limited study and to investigate its application to a broader range of clinical problems.