Ultrasound diagnosis of bony nerve entrapment: Case series and literature review

Introduction: Nerve entrapment due to osseous callus formation is a rare complication after bone fractures. Electrodiagnostic studies and routine radiographic imaging often fail to demonstrate the pathology. The diagnosis is difficult and is often made incidentally upon surgical exploration. Nerve ultrasonography has not been used routinely used to assess such lesions. Case report: We report 5 cases of nerve entrapment in osseous callus following fractures which were seen in 2011 and 2012. The diagnosis was made by ultrasound (US). We then performed a review of the relevant literature. Conclusions: US is becoming an invaluable tool for diagnosing peripheral nerve entrapments. The current cases suggest that nerve US should be strongly considered as an adjunctive diagnostic tool for nerve palsies developing after trauma.