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Sciatic nerve excursion during neural mobilization with ankle movement using dynamic ultrasound imaging: a
Ali M Alshami1, Tadhi K Alshammari2, Mona I AlMuhaish3
1Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 2435, Dammam, 31441, Saudi Arabia. alshami@iau.edu.sa.
Journal of Ultrasound
|May 26, 2021
Summary
Sciatic nerve excursion during ankle dorsiflexion is influenced by knee position. Extended knees increase nerve movement, while neck and hip positions show no significant effect in healthy individuals.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomechanics
- Anatomy
Background:
- Ankle movement is a common sensitizing maneuver for sciatica in neurodynamic techniques.
- Limited in vivo research exists on sciatic nerve biomechanics during ankle movement with varying adjacent joint positions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sciatic nerve excursion during ankle dorsiflexion.
- To analyze the impact of different neck, hip, and knee positions on sciatic nerve movement in healthy adults.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 27 healthy participants.
- High-resolution dynamic ultrasound imaging to measure longitudinal sciatic nerve excursion in the posterior thigh.
- Ankle dorsiflexion performed in six positions of the neck, hip, and knee; statistical analysis using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and Eta squared.
Main Results:
- Ankle dorsiflexion significantly increased sciatic nerve excursion when the knee was extended (median 0.7-1.6 mm) compared to when flexed (median 0.5-1.4 mm).
- No significant differences in nerve excursion were observed based on neck or hip positions (P ≥ 0.456).
Conclusions:
- Adjacent joint positioning, especially knee flexion/extension, significantly impacts sciatic nerve excursion during ankle movement.
- Findings provide biomechanical insights relevant to neurodynamic techniques for sciatica.
