MUSCULOCUTANEOUS NERVE ENTRAPMENT REVISITED

Compression of the lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm (LCNF), the distal sensory termination of the musculocutaneous nerve, can occur be low the biceps aponeurosis, most commonly after strenuous elbow extens ion or forearm pronation. Between 1965 and 1992, 15 patients reported pain in the anterolateral elbow with ''burning'' into the forearm. The re was a minimum 2-year follow-up of all patients in the study (averag e 13.4 years, median 15 years). All patients were managed conservative ly for 12 weeks. Of the 15 patients, 11 required operative decompressi on that involved resecting a triangular wedge of aponeurosis overlying the nerve. Of the four nonoperative patients, one had persistent hype sthesia even though pain was relieved and range of motion was restored of the 11 patients treated operatively, none had recurrence of hypest hesia, and all patients continued to have complete relief of pain and full range of motion. One additional patient required surgery for late ral epicondylitis 2 years later. There were no operative complications .