Preview

Meditsinskiy sovet = Medical Council

Advanced search

Entrapment neuropathies of the arm nerves: Clinical symptoms and therapeutic approaches

https://doi.org/10.21518/ms2025-308

Abstract

Entrapment neuropathies are a common group of peripheral nervous system disorders that develop due to compression of nerve trunks as they pass through anatomically narrow canals. The article discusses the main types of compression neuropathies of the arm nerves, clinical symptoms, diagnostic tests and therapeutic approaches. Clinical manifestations of entrapment neuropathies fluctuate based on the level of compression and the degree of nerve injury. Diagnostic tools include electroneuromyography and visualization methods such as ultrasound and MRI, which are particularly valuable for differential diagnosis and detection of structural changes in the nerve itself and its surrounding soft tissues. Treatment of entrapment neuropathies depends on the stage of the disease. Initial treatment is conservative and may include orthotics, local administration of corticosteroids and modification of physical activities. If conservative therapy is ineffective and patients show movement disorders, persistent neuropathic pain, surgical treatment aimed at decompressing the nerve trunk is recommended. It is advisable to include highdose B vitamins in the complex therapy of entrapment neuropathies at any stage of the disease, as they have neurometabolic effects and promote the regeneration of injured nerves. The prognosis of the disease is based on timely diagnosis and adequate therapy. Early treatment allows complete nerve function recovery, while prolonged compression can lead to irreversible changes, including persistent motor impairments and muscle atrophy.

About the Authors

L. Т. Akhmedzhanova
Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)
Russian Federation

Louiza Т. Akhmedzhanova - Cand. Sci. (Med.), Associate Professor of the Department of Nervous Diseases and Neurosurgery at the N.V. Sklifosovsky Institute of Clinical Medicine.

8, Bldg. 2, Trubetskaya St., Moscow, 119991



V. Yu. Shcherbanina
Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)
Russian Federation

Veronika Yu. Shcherbanina - Cand. Sci. (Med.), Doctor of Functional Diagnostics at University Clinical Hospital No. 3.

8, Bldg. 2, Trubetskaya St., Moscow, 119991



A. Yu. Soldatenkova
Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)
Russian Federation

Arina Yu. Soldatenkova – Student.

8, Bldg. 2, Trubetskaya St., Moscow, 119991



References

1. Gilveg AS, Parfenov VA, Evzikov GY. Carpal tunnel syndrome: issues of diagnosis and treatment. Neurology, Neuropsychiatry, Psychosomatics. 2019;11(2S):46–51. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.14412/2074-2711-2019-2S-46-51.

2. Schmid AB, Fundaun J, Tampin B. Entrapment neuropathies: a contemporary approach to pathophysiology, clinical assessment, and management. Pain Rep. 2020;5(4):e829. https://doi.org/10.1097/PR9.0000000000000829.

3. Gebrye T, Jeans E, Yeowell G, Mbada C, Fatoye F. Global and Regional Prevalence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis Based on a Systematic Review. Musculoskeletal Care. 2024;22(4):e70024. https://doi.org/10.1002/msc.70024.

4. Latinovic R, Gulliford MC, Hughes RAC. Incidence of common compressive neuropathies in primary care. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2006;77(2):263–265. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.2005.066696.

5. Padua L, Cuccagna C, Giovannini S, Coraci D, Pelosi L, Loreti C et al. Carpal tunnel syndrome: updated evidence and new questions. Lancet Neurol. 2023;22(3):255–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/s1474-4422(22)00432-x.

6. Aboonq MS. Pathophysiology of carpal tunnel syndrome. Neurosciences. 2015;20(1):4–9. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25630774.

7. Dabbagh A, MacDermid JC, Yong J, Packham TL, Grewal R, Boutsikari EC. Diagnostic Test Accuracy of Provocative Maneuvers for the Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Phys Ther. 2023;103(6):pzad029. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzad029.

8. Saltykova VG, Maletskiy EYu, Kanshina DS. Median nerve ultrasound in carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis (pictorial review). Ultrasound and Functional Diagnostics. 2021;(2):39–62. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24835/16070771-2021-2-39-62.

9. Wipperman J, Goerl K. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Diagnosis and Management. Am Fam Physician. 2016;94(12):993–999. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi. nlm.nih.gov/28075090.

10. Osiak K, Elnazir P, Walocha JA, Pasternak A. Carpal tunnel syndrome: stateof-the-art review. Folia Morphol. 2022;81(4):851–862. https://doi.org/10.5603/fm.a2021.0121.

11. Karjalainen TV, Lusa V, Page MJ, O’Connor D, Massy-Westropp N, Peters SE. Splinting for carpal tunnel syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023;2(2):CD010003. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd010003.pub2.

12. Ashworth NL, Bland JDP, Chapman KM, Tardif G, Albarqouni L, Nagendran A. Local corticosteroid injection versus placebo for carpal tunnel syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2023;2(2):CD015148. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD015148.

13. Yang FA, Shih YC, Hong JP, Wu CW, Liao CD, Chen HC. Ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Sci Rep. 2021;11(1):10417. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89898-7.

14. Rankin IA, Sargeant H, Rehman H, Gurusamy KS. Low-level laser therapy for carpal tunnel syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017;8(8):CD012765. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012765.

15. Page MJ, O’Connor D, Pitt V, Massy-Westropp N. Exercise and mobilisation interventions for carpal tunnel syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;2012(6):CD009899. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.cd009899.

16. Page MJ, O’Connor D, Pitt V, Massy-Westropp N. Therapeutic ultrasound for carpal tunnel syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2013;2013(3):CD009601. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD009601.pub2.

17. Atroshi I, Hofer M, Larsson GU, Ranstamj. Extended Follow-up of a Randomized Clinical Trial of Open vs Endoscopic Release Surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. JAMA. 2015;314(13):1399–1401. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2015.12208.

18. Sayegh ET, Strauch RJ. Open versus endoscopic carpal tunnel release: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2015;473(3):1120–1132. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-014-3835-z.

19. Shi Q, Bobos P, Lalone EA, Warren L, MacDermid JC. Comparison of the Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of Surgery and Nonsurgical Intervention in Treating Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Hand. 2020;15(1):13–22. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558944718787892.

20. Lusa V, Karjalainen TV, Pääkkönen M, Rajamäki TJ, Jaatinen K. Surgical versus non-surgical treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024;1(1):CD001552. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858. CD001552.pub3.

21. Edgell SE, McCabe SJ, Breidenbach WC, LaJoie AS, Abell TD. Predicting the outcome of carpal tunnel release. J Hand Surg Am. 2003;28(2):255–261. https://doi.org/10.1053/jhsu.2003.50031.

22. Westenberg RF, Oflazoglu K, de Planque CA, Jupiter JB, Eberlin KR, Chen NC. Revision Carpal Tunnel Release: Risk Factors and Rate of Secondary Surgery. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2020;145(5):1204–1214. https://doi.org/10.1097/prs.0000000000006742.

23. Ahcan U, Arnez ZM, Bajrović F, Zorman P. Surgical technique to reduce scar discomfort after carpal tunnel surgery. J Hand Surg Am. 2002;27(5):821–827. https://doi.org/10.1053/jhsu.2002.35083.

24. Aroori S, Spence RA. Carpal tunnel syndrome. Ulster Medj. 2008;77(1):6–17. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18269111.

25. Dididze M, Tafti D, Sherman AL. Pronator Teres Syndrome. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025.

26. Balcerzak AA, Ruzik K, Tubbs RS, Konschake M, Podgórski M, Borowski A et al. How to Differentiate Pronator Syndrome from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Comprehensive Clinical Comparison. Diagnostics. 2022;12(10):2433. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12102433.

27. Carter GT, Weiss MD. Diagnosis and Treatment of Work-Related Proximal Median and Radial Nerve Entrapment. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2015;26(3):539–549. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmr.2015.04.001.

28. An TW, Evanoff BA, Boyer MI, Osei DA. The Prevalence of Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: A Cross-Sectional Study in a U.S. Metropolitan Cohort. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2017;99(5):408–416. https://doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.15.01162.

29. Khannanova IG, Gallyamov AR, Bogov AA Jr, Zhuravlev MR, Bogov AA. Cubital channel syndrome. Literature review. Practical Medicine. 2017;109(8):164–167. (In Russ.) Available at: https://pmarchive.ru/sindrom-kubitalnogo-kanalaliteraturnyj-obzor.

30. Beekman R, Van Der Plas JP, Uitdehaag BM, Schellens RL, Visser LH. Clinical, electrodiagnostic, and sonographic studies in ulnar neuropathy at the elbow. Muscle Nerve. 2004;30(2):202–208. https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.20093.

31. Beekman R, Visser LH, Verhagen WI. Ultrasonography in ulnar neuropathy at the elbow: a critical review. Muscle Nerve. 2011;43(5):627–635. https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.22019.

32. Dodds GA 3rd, Hale D, Jackson WT. Incidence of anatomic variants in Guyon’s canal. J Hand Surg Am. 1990;15(2):352–355. https://doi.org/10.1016/03635023(90)90122-8.

33. Lee JH, Lee JK, Park JS, Kim DH, Baek JH, Yoon BN et al. Characteristics of surgically treated Guyon canal syndrome: A multicenter retrospective study. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2022;75(9):3269–3278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bjps.2022.04.049.

34. Aleksenko D, Varacallo MA. Guyon Canal Syndrome. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025.

35. Shah CM, Calfee RP, Gelberman RH, Goldfarb CA. Outcomes of rigid night splinting and activity modification in the treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome. J Hand Surg Am. 2013;38(6):1125–1130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhsa.2013.02.039.

36. Caliandro P, La Torre G, Padua R, Giannini F, Padua L. Treatment for ulnar neuropathy at the elbow. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;11(11):CD006839. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD006839.pub4.

37. Osei DA, Groves AP, Bommarito K, Ray WZ. Cubital Tunnel Syndrome: Incidence and Demographics in a National Administrative Database. Neurosurgery. 2017;80(3):417–420. https://doi.org/10.1093/neuros/nyw061.

38. Wade RG, Griffiths TT, Flather R, Burr NE, Teo M, Bourke G. Safety and Outcomes of Different Surgical Techniques for Cubital Tunnel Decompression: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2020;3(11):e2024352. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.24352.

39. Bartels RH, Menovsky T, Van Overbeeke JJ, Verhagen WI. Surgical management of ulnar nerve compression at the elbow: an analysis of the literature. J Neurosurg. 1998;89(5):722–727. https://doi.org/10.3171/jns.1998.89.5.0722.

40. Suzuki T, Iwamoto T, Shizu K, Suzuki K, Yamada H, Sato K. Predictors of postoperative outcomes of cubital tunnel syndrome treatments using multiple logistic regression analysis. J Orthop Sci. 2017;22(3):453–456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jos.2017.01.003.

41. Kholinne E, Alsharidah MM, Almutair O, Aljasser S, Alhothali W, Kwak JM et al. Revision surgery for refractory cubital tunnel syndrome: A systematic review. Orthop Traumatol Surg Res. 2019;105(5):867–876. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otsr.2019.03.020.

42. Ansari FH, Juergens AL. Compressive radial mononeuropathy. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32491452/

43. Moradi A, Ebrahimzadeh MH, Jupiter JB. Radial Tunnel Syndrome, Diagnostic and Treatment Dilemma. Arch Bone Jt Surg. 2015;3(3):156–162. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26213698.

44. Cleary CK. Management of radial tunnel syndrome: a therapist’s clinical perspective. J Hand Ther. 2006;19(2):186–191. https://doi.org/10.1197/j.jht.2006.02.020.

45. Marchese J, Coyle K, Cote M, Wolf JM. Prospective Evaluation of a Single Corticosteroid Injection in Radial Tunnel Syndrome. Hand. 2019;14(6):741–745. https://doi.org/10.1177/1558944718787282.

46. Levina Y, Dantuluri PK. Radial Tunnel Syndrome. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2021;14(3):205–213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-021-09703-w.

47. Druzhinin DS, Naumova ES, Nikitin SS, Spirin NN. The phenomenon of focal peripheral nerve constriction: review of the literature. NervnoMyshechnye Bolezni. 2019;9(1):24–31. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17650/2222-8721-2019-9-1-24-31.

48. Granata G, Tomasello F, Sciarrone MA, Stifano V, Lauretti L, Luigetti M. Neuralgic Amyotrophy and Hourglass Nerve Constriction/Nerve Torsion: Two Sides of the Same Coin? A Clinical Review. Brain Sci. 2024;14(1):67. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci14010067.

49. Deng H, Lu B, Yin C, Xu Y, Ding Y, Mi Y, Xu P. The Effectiveness of Ultrasonography in the Diagnosis of Spontaneous Hourglasslike Constriction of Peripheral Nerve in the Upper Extremity. World Neurosurg. 2020;134:e103–e111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wneu.2019.09.111.

50. Sebastian D. Triangular interval syndrome: A differential diagnosis for upper extremity radicular pain. Physiother Theory Pract. 2010;26(2):113–119. https://doi.org/10.3109/09593980802698040.

51. Baltrusch S. The Role of Neurotropic B Vitamins in Nerve Regeneration. Biomed Res Int. 2021;2021:9968228. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9968228.

52. Parfenov VA. Treatment of acute non-specific back pain, the use of group B vitamins. Neurology, Neuropsychiatry, Psychosomatics. 2022;14(6):98–102. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.14412/2074-2711-2022-6-98-10.

53. Akhmedzhanova LT, Solokha OA, Nikolaev MD. Patient with discogenic radiculopathy: diagnostic and treatment algorithms. Meditsinskiy Sovet. 2024;18(3):119–126. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21518/ms2024-133.

54. Golovacheva VA, Tabeeva GR, Fateeva TG. Management of patients with musculoskeletal back pain and comorbid anxiety. Meditsinskiy Sovet. 2022;16(23):60–66. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21518/2079-701X-2022-16-23-60-66.

55. Akhmedzhanovа LT, Mandra EV, Yanakaeva TA, Solokha OA. Difficult patient with polyneuropathy: CIDP associated with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Meditsinskiy Sovet. 2023;17(10):106–114. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21518/ms2023-243.

56. Shavlovskaya ОА. Neurotropic effect of B vitamins in the complex treatment of pain syndrome. Zhurnal Nevrologii i Psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova. 2017;117(9):118–123. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17116/jnevro201711791118-123.


Review

For citations:


Akhmedzhanova LТ, Shcherbanina VY, Soldatenkova AY. Entrapment neuropathies of the arm nerves: Clinical symptoms and therapeutic approaches. Meditsinskiy sovet = Medical Council. 2025;(12):101-108. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21518/ms2025-308

Views: 52


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.


ISSN 2079-701X (Print)
ISSN 2658-5790 (Online)