Clinical and electrophysiological analysis of sciatic nerve injury

Objective To analyze retrospectively the clinical and electrophysiological findings of injuries in sciatic nerve and its branches. Methods We analyzed the etiological factors of seventy patients as well as the peroneal and tibial nerve conduction and the needle elcetromyographic examinations in muscles of tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius. Results Trauma was the most commonly cause of sciatic nerve damage (36/70), followed by muscle injection (20/70), then the surgery complications (5/70) and finally by the unidentified (9/70). The impairments of sciatic nerve alone, peroneal nerve alone and tibial nerve alone accounted for 32 cases, 25 cases and13 cases, respectively. Conclusion Trauma is the most common cause of sciatic nerve damage. The electrophysiological studies may demonstrate much significance in evaluating injured nerve, features, severity and prognosis of the injuries.