Ulnar nerve entrapment is a condition where the ulnar nerve becomes trapped or pinched due to some physiological abnormalities In human anatomy, the ulnar nerve is a nerve which runs from the shoulder to the hand, at one part running near the ulna bone. ... What is Pinched Nerve? The term pinched nerve describes one type of damage or injury to a nerve or set of nerves. ... Physiology (in Greek physis = nature and logos = word) is the study of the mechanical, physical, and biochemical functions of living organisms. ...

Symptoms

Commonly, this causes pain, numbness, or paralysis of the ring and little fingers which may extend up the arm. This can be differentiated from carpal tunnel syndrome and radial nerve entrapment in that different fingers are involved. This article is about the medical condition. ...

Causes

The ulnar nerve passes through many tunnels and outlets which could cause the nerve to be pinched. Some causes or origins noted could be^[1]:

• Problems originating at the neck (thoracic outlet syndrome, disease of the cervical spine)
• Brachial plexus abnormalities
• Elbow abnormalities (fractures, growth plate injuries, cubital tunnel problems, improper use)
• Wrist abnormalities (fractures, Guyon canal problems)
• Artery aneurysms or thrombosis
• Infections, tumors, diabetes, hypothyroidism, rheumatism, and alcoholism

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) consists of a group of distinct disorders that affect the nerves in the brachial plexus (nerves that pass into the arms from the neck) and various nerves and blood vessels between the base of the neck and axilla (armpit). ... A cervical vertebra Cervical vertebrae (Vertebrae cervicales) are the smallest of the true vertebrae, and can be readily distinguished from those of the thoracic or lumbar regions by the presence of a foramen (hole) in each transverse process. ... The brachial plexus is an arrangement of nerve fibres (a plexus) running from the spine (vertebrae C5-T1), through the neck, the axilla (armpit region), and into the arm. ... Elbow redirects here. ... alex is cool ... In human anatomy, the wrist is the flexible and narrower connection between the forearm and the hand. ... An aneurysm (or aneurism) (from Gr. ... Thrombosis is the formation of a clot or thrombus inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system. ... An infection is the detrimental colonization of a host organism by a foreign species. ... Tumor or tumour literally means swelling, and is sometimes still used with that meaning. ... This article is about the disease that features high blood sugar. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Rheumatism or Rheumatic disorder is a non-specific term for medical problems affecting the heart, bones, joints, kidney, skin and lung. ... Alcoholism is the consumption of, or preoccupation with, alcoholic beverages to the extent that this behavior interferes with the drinkers normal personal, family, social, or work life, and may lead to physical or mental harm. ...

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

Cubital tunnel syndrome occurs when the Ulnar nerve is obstructed during its path along the outer edge of the elbow. This compression of the nerve often leads to a tingling or 'pins and needles' sensation in the little and ring fingers (as opposed to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome which affects the first, second and third fingers). Most cases will be minor and tend to come and go with time. Common causes are sleeping with the arm folded up, so the hand is at the persons neck. People frequently wake up with in these cases with tingling in the fingers, because the nerve has been pinched or squeezed. Treatment of these types of causes are easy to remedy and can involve simply altering sleeping positions to avoid aggravating the elbow area. In more extreme cases however where tingling is persistent, surgery is an option to move the nerve away from the area. ^[2] This article is about the medical condition. ...

Prevention

Wikipedia does not give medical advice. Please see a doctor if symptoms are not transient. Transient means passing with time. ...

References

1. ^ http://www.emedicine.com/orthoped/topic574.htm Emedicine.com:Ulnar Nerve Entrapment (January 8, 2004)
2. ^ http://www.handsurgeon.com/cubital.html

External References

• AAOS:Ulnar Nerve Entrapment