[Mechanical lesions of the peripheral nervous system. Possible damage at work and leisure]

For the most part, mechanical injuries to peripheral nerves occurring at work or at play as a result of closed traumatization, are caused by compressive, stretching/shearing or vibrational forces. In a patient in whom various compression lesions of peripheral nerves recur, the possible presence of a predisposing hereditary neuropathy must be considered. Modern magnetic resonance imaging is capable of clarifying the causes and conditions of compression injuries, in particular in the region of the tunnel: presence of osteophytes, other space-consuming processes or anatomical narrowing of the tunnel. Injury sequelae, for example in the case of carpal tunnel syndrome affecting the median nerve, or tendinopathies, can also be visualized. A number of lesions and their triggering mechanisms that occur during work or leisure are described.