Hand & Wrist Care
Wisconsin Bone & Joint hand & wrist care
experts offer comprehensive services
to individuals with a wide range of
hand & wrist pain issues.
Ulnar Nerve Decompression
Hand & Wrist Specialists At Wisconsin Bone & Joint
The physicians at Wisconsin Bone & Joint utilize cutting-edge technology to assess, diagnose and work with patients to develop innovative treatment plans for a variety of hand & wrist conditions and injuries. Our team of physicians are committed to providing you with the best treatment options to alleviate your hand and wrist pain.
Providing trusted Orthopedic care in the community for over 40+ years
At Wisconsin Bone and Joint, we pride ourselves with providing you highly personalized and comprehensive orthopedic care. Our philosophy of direct physician-to-patient care means your physician will be an intrical part of every stage of your care. This commitment to a dedicated continuum-of-care model has made us one of the most trusted and respected practices in Southeast Wisconsin and greater Milwaukee area.
Ulnar Nerve Decompression
What Is Ulnar Nerve Decompression?
Ulnar nerve entrapment occurs when the ulnar nerve in the arm becomes compressed or irritated. The ulnar nerve is one of the three main nerves in your arm. It travels from your neck down into your hand, and can be constricted in several places along the way. Depending upon where it occurs, this pressure on the nerve can cause numbness or pain in your elbow, hand, wrist, or fingers.
Sometimes the ulnar nerve gets compressed at the wrist, beneath the collarbone, or as it comes out of the spinal cord in the neck. The most common place where the nerve gets compressed is behind the elbow.
When the nerve compression occurs at the elbow, it is called “cubital tunnel syndrome.”
If symptoms do not disappear despite conservative medical treatment and changes in your daily activities, your doctor may determine that surgery is the best treatment to stop further damage to the ulnar nerve.
The aim of surgical treatment is to simply release the pressure and stress on the ulnar nerve as it passes through the cubital tunnel. This procedure is called nerve decompression or transposition. With this technique, the surgeon creates a brand new tunnel where the nerve is in a more comfortable position.
What Causes Ulnar Nerve Decompression?
Sometimes the ulnar nerve gets compressed at the wrist, beneath the collarbone, or as it comes out of the spinal cord in the neck. The most common place where the nerve gets compressed is behind the elbow.
What Are The Symptoms of Ulnar Nerve Decompression?
Depending upon where it occurs, this pressure on the nerve can cause numbness or pain in your elbow, hand, wrist, or fingers.
What Are The Treatment Options For Ulnar Nerve Decompression?
If symptoms do not disappear despite conservative medical treatment and changes in your daily activities, your doctor may determine that surgery is the best treatment to stop further damage to the ulnar nerve.
Procedure
Cubital tunnel release. In this operation, the ligament “roof” of the cubital tunnel is cut and divided. This increases the size of the tunnel and decreases pressure on the nerve.
After the procedure, the ligament begins to heal and new tissue grows across the division. The new growth heals the ligament, and allows more space for the ulnar nerve to slide through.
Cubital tunnel release tends to work best when the nerve compression is mild and the nerve does not slide out from behind the bony ridge of the medial epicondyle when the elbow is bent.
Ulnar nerve anterior transposition. More commonly, the nerve is moved from its place behind the medial epicondyle to a new place in front of it. This is called an anterior transposition of the ulnar nerve. The nerve can be moved to lie under the skin and fat but on top of the muscle (subcutaneous transposition), within the muscle (intermuscular transposition) or under the muscle (submuscular transposition).
Our team is here for you
When conservative care and treatment is appropriate, we offer the best, least invasive, least aggressive treatment options to relieve your pain and discomfort. When an injury is more serious and conservative care is not an option, our orthopedic surgeons provide the latest in innovative surgical interventions available with the goal of getting you back to the life you love. Wisconsin Bone & Joint physicians offer orthopedic services at three convenient locations in Mayfair, Glendale and Cedarburg.