Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Management of Complications of Cubital Tunnel Surgery

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

  • 697 Accesses

Abstract

Cubital tunnel syndrome is one of the most common conditions evaluated by upper extremity and peripheral nerve surgeons and the second most common compressive neuropathy only to carpal tunnel syndrome. Patients with classic presentation and symptoms can at times be treated conservatively with splinting, and those who go on to surgery, for the most part, do well. However, complications can arise after surgical intervention. Although unusual, these complications can provide significant distress to patient and surgeon alike. The surgeon should take ownership of the situation and reassure the patient that they will work together to get through the unexpected outcome. We will discuss the incidence of complications after surgical release and our preference in management.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Greenwald D, Blum LC, Adams D, Mercantonio C, Moffit M, Cooper B. Effective surgical treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome based on provocative clinical testing without electrodiagnostics. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2007;119(2):753–4. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.prs.0000247910.26043.15.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Pasque CM, Anterior Submuscular GMR. Transposition of the ulnar nerve for cubital tunnel syndrome. J Hand Surg Am. 1995;20B(4):447–53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Dellon AL, Coert JH. Results of the musculofascial lengthening technique for submuscular transposition of the ulnar nerve at the elbow. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2003;85(7):1314–20. https://doi.org/10.2106/00004623-200307000-00018.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Bartels R, Menovsky T, Van Overbeeke J, Verhagen W. Surgical management of ulnar nerve compression at the elbow: an analysis of the literature. J Neurol. 1998;89:722–7.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Coady-Fraiborzian L, McGreane A, Anstead C, Lawler R, Jones-Lawson A, Richards W. Ten-year retrospective review of cubital tunnel surgery at the Malcom Randall Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 2005 to 2014. JAMA Surg. 2016;151(11):1088–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Zengin Ç, Tahta M, Güntürk Ö, Aslan C, Şener U, Şener M. Results of endoscopically-assisted cubital tunnel release without using any specific instrument. Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc. 2017;51(2):138–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aott.2017.02.012.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Smeraglia F, Del Buono A, Maffulli N. Endoscopic cubital tunnel release: a systematic review. Br Med Bull. 2015;116(1):155–63. https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldv049.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Gervasio O, Gambardella G, Zaccone C, Branca D. Simple decompression versus anterior submuscular transposition of the ulnar nerve in severe cubital tunnel syndrome: a prospective randomized study. Neurosurgery. 2005;56(1):108–17. https://doi.org/10.1227/01.NEU.0000145854.38234.81.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Tsai TM, Chen IC, Majd ME, Lim BH. Cubital tunnel release with endoscopic assistance: results of a new technique. J Hand Surg Am. 1999;24(1):21–9. https://doi.org/10.1053/jhsu.1999.jhsu25a0021.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Staples JR, Calfee R. Cubital tunnel syndrome: current concepts. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2017;25(10):e215–24. https://doi.org/10.5435/JAAOS-D-15-00261.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Bartels RHMA, Verhagen WIM, Van Der Wilt GJ, Meulstee J, Van Rossum LGM, Grotenhuis JA. Prospective randomized controlled study comparing simple decompression versus anterior subcutaneous transposition for idiopathic neuropathy of the ulnar nerve at the elbow: part 1. Neurosurgery. 2005;56(3):522–9. https://doi.org/10.1227/01.NEU.0000154131.01167.03.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Grundberg AB, Reagan DS. Compression syndromes in reflex sympathetic dystrophy. J Hand Surg Am. 1991;16(4):731–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/0363-5023(91)90202-M.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Henry M. Management of Iatrogenic Ulnar Nerve Transection. J Hand Microsurg. 2015;7(1):173–6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12593-014-0141-7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Ruijs ACJ, Jaquet JB, Kalmijn S, Giele H, Hovius SER. Median and ulnar nerve injuries: a meta-analysis of predictors of motor and sensory recovery after modern microsurgical nerve repair. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2005;116(2):484–94. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.prs.0000172896.86594.07.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Terzis JK, Kokkalis ZT. Outcomes of secondary reconstruction of ulnar nerve lesions: our experience. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2008;122(4):1100–10. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181858f67.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Murovic JA. Upper-extremity peripheral nerve injuries: a Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center literature review with comparison of the operative outcomes of 1837 Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center median, radial, and ulnar nerve lesions. Neurosurgery. 2009;65(suppl. 4):11–7. https://doi.org/10.1227/01.NEU.0000339130.90379.89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Brooks DN, Weber RV, Chao JD, et al. Processed nerve allografts for peripheral nerve reconstruction: a multicenter study of utilization and outcomes in sensory, mixed, and motor nerve reconstructions. Microsurgery. 32(1):1–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/micr.20975.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Moore AM, Kasukurthi R, Magill CK, Farhadi FH, Borschel GH, Mackinnon SE. Limitations of conduits in peripheral nerve repairs. Hand. 2009;4(2):180–6. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11552-008-9158-3.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Barbour J, Yee A, Kahn LC, MacKinnon SE. Supercharged end-to-side anterior interosseous to ulnar motor nerve transfer for intrinsic musculature reinnervation. J Hand Surg Am. 2012;37(10):2150–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhsa.2012.07.022.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Davidge KM, Yee A, Moore AM, Mackinnon SE. The supercharge end-to-side anterior interosseous-to-ulnar motor nerve transfer for restoring intrinsic function: clinical experience. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2015;136(3):344e–52e. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0000000000001514.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Lowe JB, Maggi SP, Mackinnon SE. The position of crossing branches of the medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve during cubital tunnel surgery in humans. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2004;114(3):692–6. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.PRS.0000130966.16460.3C.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Dellon AL, Mackinnon SE. Injury to the medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve during cubital tunnel surgery. J Hand Surg Am. 1985;10(1):33–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0266-7681(85)80011-5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Poppler LH, Parikh RP, Bichanich MJ, et al. Surgical interventions for the treatment of painful neuroma. Pain. 2018;159(2):214–23. https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001101.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Palmer BA, Hughes TB. Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. J Hand Surg Am. 2010;35(1):153–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhsa.2009.11.004.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Mowlavi A, Andrews K, Lille S, Verhulst S, Zook EG, Milner S. The management of cubital tunnel syndrome: a meta-analysis of clinical studies. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2000;106(2):327–34.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Tang P, Hoellwarth JS, Chauhan A. Recurrent cubital tunnel syndrome. JBJS Rev. 2016;4(3):1–7. https://doi.org/10.2106/JBJS.RVW.O.00022.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Raynor EM, Shefner JM, Preston DC, Logigian EL. Sensory and mixed nerve conduction studies in the evaluation of ulnar nueropathy at the elbow. Muscle Nerve. 1994;17(July):785–92.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Aleem AW, Bs JDK, Calfee RP. Outcomes of revision surgery for cubital. J Hand Surg Am. 2014;39(11):2141–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhsa.2014.07.013.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plastic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    David Turer & Rafael J. Diaz-Garcia

  2. Surgery Institute, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Rafael J. Diaz-Garcia

Authors
  1. David Turer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Rafael J. Diaz-Garcia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    John R. Fowler

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Turer, D., Diaz-Garcia, R.J. (2019). Management of Complications of Cubital Tunnel Surgery. In: Fowler, J. (eds) Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14171-4_14

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-14171-4_14

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-14170-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-14171-4

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation