Superficial radial neuropathy: an unobserved etiology of chronic dorsoradial wrist pain

Egyptian Rheumatology and Rehabilitation

Table 3 Comparison between the two patients’ groups and control group regarding different assessed parameters

Clinical characteristics and SRN sensory conduction study parameters	Group I (n= 29 upper limbs obtained from 26 patients)^b (mean±SD)	Group II (n= 69 upper limb obtained from 54 patients)^c (mean±SD)	Control group (n= 91 upper limbs obtained from 63 healthy individuals)^d (mean±SD)	Test of significance	P
Side (right/left)^a	16(55.2)/13(44.8)	40(58.0)/29(42.0)	39(42.9)/52(57.1)	(X²) 3.916	0.141
Duration of complaints (months)	11.00±4.73	10.13±3.90	NA	(t) -0.944	0.348
VAS assessment of wrist pain	6.58±1.65	6.60±1.54	NA	(t) 0.064	0.949
Objective sensory loss at the territory of the SRN^a	29(100)	0(0)	NA	NA	NA
Elicited Tinelʼs sign^a	27(93.1)	0(0)	NA	(X²) 88.671	≤0.0001*
Positive Finkelstein’s test^a	22(75.9)	39(56.5)	NA	(X²) 3.250	0.109**
Positive Eichoff’s test^a	24(82.8)	46(66.7)	NA	(X²) 2.591	0.143**
SRN sensory conduction study parameters
SNAP PL (ms)	2.93±0.32^e^f	2.41±0.21^f	2.46±0.20^e	(F) 49.387	≤0.0001*
SNAP CV (m/s)	44.55±3.95^e^f	55.69±5.01^f	55.10±3.98^e	(F) 63.428	≤0.0001*
SNAP amplitude (μV)	21.50±11.66^e^f	32.19±10.45^f	30.81±10.41^e	(F) 9.462	≤0.0001*

SRN superficial radial nerve, VAS visual analogue scale, SNAP sensory nerve action potential, PL peak latency, ms millisecond, CV conduction velocity, m/s meter per second, μV microvolt, Group I patients with superficial radial neuropathy, Group II patients without superficial radial neuropathy, n number of upper limbs, SD standard deviation, (X²) value of Chi-square test, (F) value of ANOVA test, NA not applicable, (t) value of Student's t-test.
*P is significant at <0.05.
^aData are presented as [number (percentage)].
^bBilateral upper limbs with superficial radial neuropathy were obtained from three patients (11.5%). There were eight patients (30.8%) with bilateral chronic dorsoradial wrist pain who had superficial radial neuropathy in one upper limb only.
^cBilateral upper limbs without superficial radial neuropathy were obtained from 15 patients (27.8%). There were eight patients (14.8%) with bilateral chronic dorsoradial wrist pain who had not superficial radial neuropathy in one upper limb while had it in the other upper limb.
^d Bilateral upper limbs assessment was done in 28 apparently healthy individuals (44.4%).
^eSignificant difference (post hoc test) between group I and control group regarding SNAP PL, CV and amplitude (P<0.05).
^f Significant difference (post hoc test) between group I and group II regarding SNAP PL, CV and amplitude (P<0.05).
**Value of Fisher’s Exact test.