Prolonged phone-call posture causes changes of ulnar motor nerve conduction across elbow. Issue 8 (August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Padua, Luca; Coraci, Daniele; Erra, Carmen; Doneddu, Pietro Emiliano; Granata, Giuseppe; Rossini, Paolo Maria
• Is Part Of: Clinical neurophysiology. Volume 127:Issue 8(2016:Aug.)
• Page Start: 2728
• Page End: 2732
• Publication Date: 2016-08
• Subjects: Ulnar neuropathy at elbow -- Nerve entrapment syndrome -- Neuropathy -- Ulnar nerve -- Mobile phone -- Epidemiology; Neurophysiology -- Periodicals; Electroencephalography -- Periodicals; Electromyography -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; 612.8
• DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2016.05.010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1388-2457

Abstract

Highlights: Calling by mobile phone forces the elbow in flexed position. The study assesses ulnar nerve function changes during a 18 min phone posture, comparing subjects with minimal clinical UNE and symptom-free subjects. Motor nerve conduction of ulnar nerve across the elbow decreases significantly in the UNE group during prolonged phone posture. Abstract: Objective: Postures and work-hobby activities may play a role in the origin and progression of ulnar neuropathy at the elbow (UNE), whose occurrence appears to be increasing. The time spent on mobile-phone has increased in the last decades leading to an increased time spent with flexed elbow (prolonged-phone-posture, PPP). We aimed to assess the effect of PPP both in patients with symptoms of UNE and in symptom-free subjects. Methods: Patients with pure sensory symptoms of UNE and negative neurophysiological tests (MIN-UNE) and symptom-free subjects were enrolled. We evaluated ulnar motor nerve conduction velocity across elbow at baseline and after 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 min of PPP in both groups. Fifty-six symptom-free subjects and fifty-eight patients were enrolled. Globally 186 ulnar nerves from 114 subjects were studied. Results: Conduction velocity of ulnar nerve across the elbow significantly changed over PPP time in patients with MIN-UNE, showing a different evolution between the two groups. Conclusions: PPP causes a modification of ulnar nerve functionality in patients with MIN-UNE. Significance: PPP may cause transient stress of ulnar nerve at elbow.