Pronator Syndrome: A Retrospective Study of Median Nerve Entrapment at the Elbow in Female Machine Milkers

Abstract

Pronator syndrome (median nerve entrapment at the elbow) is a rare condition, but it is more common among women than men. A long-term retrospective follow-up study evaluating the outcome of surgical release of the median nerve for female machine milkers has never been carried out before, nor has a long-term study of non-treated female milkers with pronator syndrome. In the present study, two groups of machine milkers (surgical and non-surgical) were compared. The clinical examination focused on two parameters: focal tenderness and individual muscle strength. The results showed that the surgical group had no focal tenderness on palpation over the median nerve at the elbow and no selective weakness in the muscles examined, as compared to what was found before surgery. In the non-surgical group, focal tenderness was found in 12 out of 14, and 10 out of 14 showed the same weakness as in an earlier examination. While this study has limitations in sample size, surgical release of the median nerve at the elbow level, in cases of pronator syndrome, appears to provide an immediate as well as long-term return to normal strength of FPL and FDP II, along with a significant improvement in subjective status. In the non-surgical group, spontaneous improvement of the strength of FPL and FDP II was found in only four out of the 14 cases.

Full article can be found in: Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health
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