Study of Frequency of Peripheral Nerve Injuries In traumatic patients Referred to Eeast Azarbaijan Legal Medicine Center in 2011

Peripheral nerve injuries due to trauma are one of the leading causes of disability in the society and could be devastating in occupational and activity daily living functions. Prognosis of these injuries is dependent on the sex, age, trauma location and severity, cause of trauma and its treatment. In order to prevent peripheral nerve injuries’ complications, accurate diagnosis of these injuries and their etiology is very important in society.
This descriptive- cross sectional study was done from April 2011 up to April 2012 in the forensics organization of East Azerbaijan province and Tabriz medical sciences. In this period all the referring traumatic patients to forensics organization were examined by the physician and if there was any risk of peripheral nerve injury, they were referred to physical medicine and rehabilitation department. Electro diagnostic (EMG/NCV) examination was conducted by the specialist.
Findings: In this study, 174 traumatic patient (145 male (83.3%) and 29 female (16.7%)) were studied; in which electro diagnostic examination revealed that in 72 patient (41.4%) (68 male (46.9% of male patients) and 4 female (13.8% of female patients)) had peripheral nerve injuries. 57 patients (32.8%) had peripheral nerve injury in the upper limb and 15 patients (8.6%) had the injury in the lower limb. Cause of traumatic nerve injury was motor vehicle accidents in 83 (47.7%), quarrel in 47 (27%), work related in 41 (23.6%) and iatrogenic in 3 (1.7%) patients.
The results of this study showed that most of patients suspected to peripheral nerve injuries due to trauma, actually have nerve lesion. In the other hand some of referral patients didn’t had nerve injury and this could be distinguished by electro diagnostic study. Also most prevalent cause of nerve lesion is due to motor vehicle accidents.