[Posture-related injuries and patient insurance]

The Danish Patient Insurance Society (Patientforsikringsforeningen) was established by law in July 1992. The aim was to provide a just system of compensation for complications following medical treatment, that are not caused by culpous actions or omissions. The first 34 case records concerning position-related nerve injury were reviewed. The material has national coverage. The exact incidence of position related nerve injury in Denmark is unknown, but transitory neurological symptoms after otherwise uncomplicated surgical procedures are probably not infrequent complications. The material includes 17 males and 17 females. Position-related injury most often affects the peroneal nerve, followed by the ulnar nerve and lesions to the brachial plexus. The etiology is often difficult to establish precisely, and may often be multifactorial. In our material the main reason is believed to be direct pressure to the nerve in 76% of cases. Predisposition (e.g. subclinical neuropathy or diabetes) often complicates the case, but neurophysiological examination and the relation in time between an operation and the onset of neurological symptoms often clarifies the etiology.