Sural nerve conduction: a standardized technique

Abstract

Occasionally patients with symptoms and signs suggestive of mild peripheral neuropathy, after routine nerve conduction and electromyographic studies, are found to have values within normal limits. Several authors have suggested that sural nerve conduction studies might be more sensitive indicators of mild peripheral neuropathy. Normal values for sural nerve latencies, amplitudes and conduction velocities have been reported; however, the techniques used have not generally been rigidly standardized. This study describes a standardized and reproducible method of performing human sural nerve conduction studies and presents values obtained from systematically studying a series of 56 normal volunteers.