Preoperative Ultrasound Correctly Localized Peripheral Nerve Abnormalities for Operative Guidance: A Retrospective Review.

Background: Correct localization and characterization of nerve abnormality is of critical importance to appropriate intervention. Ultrasound (US) is known to be accurate in the diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy and in preoperative localization of nerve abnormalities and skin marking.

Purpose: We sought to investigate the utility of US-guided preoperative skin marking for the localization of peripheral nerve abnormality and to compare the US findings to electrodiagnostic (EDx) reports.

Methods: Using the radiology information system at a single institution, we identified US examinations performed for preoperative localization of peripheral nerve abnormality from July 2016 to March 2023. Data collected included US characterization, surgical description, and EDx report of neuropathy.

Results: Search parameters identified 67 nerves in 55 patients treated surgically after US-guided localization of the nerve with skin marking. The EDx characterization was performed in 36 (54%) of these cases. The US diagnoses included neuroma, transection, perineural scarring, hardware impingement, and intraneural fascicular constriction. There was 100% accuracy of US findings as confirmed by operative notes. Skin marking by US guidance correlated to the sites of the nerve documented in operative reports of all 67 cases.

Conclusion: In this single-institution retrospective review, US-guided preoperative skin marking of nerve abnormality was used to correctly localize peripheral nerve abnormality, and US diagnoses were corroborated by intraoperative findings. Further higher-level study is needed to support these findings suggesting the efficacy of US in mapping the course of peripheral nerves.