[Motor and sensory conduction in the radial nerve after injury]

Motor and sensory conduction velocity was studied in the radial nerve in 40 patients with traumatic injury to this nerve. Eighteen patients were treated surgically and 22 conservatively. The patients were followed-up for up to 42 months after trauma and several electrophysiological investigations were done in each case. Motor conduction in the nerve was completely abolished in 48% of the patients, impaired in 26% and normal in the remaining cases. Sensory conduction was abolished in 60% of cases. In all cases in which sensory potentials could not have been demonstrated the nerve motor conduction was abolished or greatly changed. The usefulness of the determination of conduction in the nerve for evaluating the degree and type of nerve lesion and for prognosis was studied. Among 18 surgically treated patients in 94% of cases the result of EMG evaluation of nerve state and conduction testing agreed with the actual condition found during the operation.