Ultrasonographic evaluation of sciatic nerves in patients with spinal cord injury

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional, controlled study.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the sciatic nerves of subjects with spinal cord injury (SCI) by using ultrasound (US) imaging and to explore whether US measurements are associated with clinical and electrophysiological findings.

SETTING

National Rehabilitation Center in Ankara, Turkey.

METHODS

Fifteen SCI subjects (12 male (M), 3 female (F)) and 23 (16 M, 7 F) healthy controls were included in the study. After clinical assessment of the subjects, lower limb nerve conduction studies and US imaging of the sciatic nerves were performed. Cross-sectional area (CSA) values of the sciatic nerves were correlated with the clinical and electrophysiologic data.

RESULTS

Mean CSA values were lower in the patient group when compared with the control group (P=0.042). Reduced compound motor action potentials regarding tibial and peroneal nerves were observed in the patient group (P=0.003 and P=0.005, respectively). US measurements did not correlate with the electrophysiological findings. However, sciatic nerve CSA values were positively correlated with body mass index in the control (r=0.534, P<0.05) and patient (r=0.482, P<0.05) groups.

CONCLUSION

Sciatic nerves seem to be smaller in subjects with SCI. Together with our electrophysiological data, this preliminary finding could possibly be attributed to primary axonal loss.