Occupational and sport related traumatic neuropathy

Abstract

Background: Sport and occupation related traumatic nerve injury is a common problem in the United States. While the physical requirements of each pursuit place participants at risk for injury to certain peripheral nervous system structures, the vast numbers of professional and recreational pursuits limits the ability to become familiar with nerve injuries specific to each. A more pragmatic approach is to apply knowledge of mechanisms of injury, physiology of nerve injury, regional anatomy, and at-risk peripheral nervous system structures to the routine neurologic history and physical assessment to arrive at a localizing and etiologic diagnosis.

Review summary: The authors discuss potential mechanisms of nerve injury, the role of electrodiagnostic testing, regional peripheral nervous system anatomic considerations and lesion localization.

Conclusions: Despite the wide variety of professionally and recreationally induced peripheral nerve injuries, application of anatomic, physiologic and mechanistic considerations allow the neurologist to make an etiologic and localizing diagnosis.