[Evoked muscle potentials in severe conduction disorders of injured nerves]

In 175 patients with clinical signs of grave impairment of the conductivity, absence of induced muscular potentials has helped to diagnose full anatomic rupture of the nerve, i.e. a case when resection and junction of the nerve by suturing are necessary. The examination of the induced muscular potentials made it possible to specify the degree to which the continuity of the axons inside the nerve trunk was preserved. The amplitude of the induced muscular potentials was lowered down to 0.01 mV. The speed of the stimulus conduction diminished down to 40.0 +/- 9 m/sec in cases of the median nerve damage: to 44.4 +/- 4 m/sec, if the ulnar, and to 11.1 m/sec, if the radial nerve was damaged.