Microsurgery treatment for entrapment of ulnar nerve dorsal branch caused by ulnar dorsal wrist cysts

Objective To investigate the clinical effects of microsurgery treatment for entrapment of ulnar nerve dorsal branch caused by ulnar dorsal wrist cysts. Methods From February 2009 to October 2016, 6 patients with entrapment syndrome of ulnar nerve dorsal branch caused by ulnar dorsal wrist cysts were treated with early cyst resection. The release of ulnar nerve dorsal branch was performed in 5 cases, and nerve graft repair with sural nerve was conducted in 1 case. Results All the 6 patients were follow-up for 12 to 33 months with an average of 25 months. All the patients had no recurrence of cyst with normal wrist flexion and extension activities. Ulnar wrist pain disappeared in 2 cases. The skin sensation dominated by ulnar nerve dorsal branch recovered to S4in 5 cases 6 months after the operation, and recovered to S3+in 1 case 16 months after the operation. The two-point discrimination was 3 to 7 mm with an average of 4.5 mm. Conclusion The compression of ulnar nerve dorsal branch caused by ulnar dorsal wrist cysts is rare. Early cyst resection and microsurgery treatment can achieve satisfactory recovery. Key words: Cysts; Microsurgery; Wrist dorsal side; Ulnar nerve dorsal branch