Abstract
Introduction In recent years, musculoskeletal ultrasound has become an important tool for the
assessment of peripheral nerve entrapments in human subjects.
Objective To research sonographic pathological values of peripheral nerve entrapments and to
verify the usefulness of ultrasound for the assessment of the same.
Material and Methods A literature search was conducted on the EBSCOHost platform between January 2016
and September 2017.
Results Fifty-four articles were included in this review. Ultrasound showed good diagnostic
values for the ulnar tunnel syndrome at the level of the tunnel (sensitivity 72–99%;
specificity 53–100%) and at the level of the medial epicondyle (sensitivity 72–92%;
specificity 75–93%).
Conclusions Sonographic assessments may be considered a valid tool for the assessment of the
peripheral nervous system. High diagnostic precision exists for the cross-sectional
area in carpal tunnel syndrome and ulnar tunnel syndrome. There is a lack of evidence
regarding the diagnosis of other neuropathies.
Keywords
sonography - validity - diagnosis - peripheral nerve - nerve entrapment.
