The electrophysiologic features of sciatic neuropathy in 100 patients

We reviewed the electrophysiologic data of 100 consecutive patients with sciatic neuropathy in order to better understand this disorder. Most patients (93%) had electrodiagnostic signs of significant axonal loss. Seven patients had predominantly signs of demyelination; 6 were due to compression and 1 was idiopathic. The peroneal division was more severely affected than the tibial division in 64% of patients. Tibialis anterior EMGs were abnormal in 92%, and the EDB CMAP was low in amplitude or absent in 80%. CMAP and SNAP amplitudes and EMGs were all normal in the tibial division in 12%. In contrast, the tibial division was more severely affected in only 8 patients. Of those, 5 were due to thigh trauma (gunshot wounds or femur fracture), 2 from gunshot wounds to the hip, and the other was chronic and idiopathic. Sciatic neuropathies are commonly, but not always, axonal loss lesions that affect the peroneal greater than tibial division.