ASSESSMENT OF MECHANOSENSITIVITY ALTERATION OF THE MEDIAN, ULNAR AND RADIAL NERVES IN SUBJECTS WITH WHIPLASH: CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Abstract

Introduction: traffic accidents cause 50 million injuries per year in the world, being ‘cervical whiplash’ one of the most common. This disorder affects structures such as upper limb nerve trunks, leading to changes in neural mecha-no sensitivity. Objective: to assess impairment mechanosensitive of median, ulnar and radial nerves in subjects with whiplash associated disorder, compared to healthy asymptomatic subjects. Material and method: cross-sectional comparative study of cross association, with a total of 20 participants (10 symptomatic). A single experimental session was scheduled for each subject, where a researcher performed the upper limb neurodynamic tests, and another measured the ROM of the last parameter of each test with goniometry and the PPT of each nerve trunk with algometry. Results:
he results of the mean ROM were: 106.82 ± 11.46 for the median, 57.94 ± 8.99 for the ulnar and 45.16 ± 11.08 for the radial, for the cases; while for the control group it was: 115.55 ± 10, 59.83 ± 7.36 and 70.64 ± 21.99, respectively. Regarding the UDP, the mean of the results was: 2.05 ± 0.52 of the medians, 1.98 ± 0.68 of the ulnar and 2.08 ± 0.74 of the radials for the group of cases; while for the control group it was: 2.38 ± 0.67, 3.43 ± 0.83 and 3.55 ± 1.15 respectively. The study showed statistically significant differences for the shoulder ROM (p = 0.004), as well as for the UDP of the ulnar (p <0.001) and radial (p = 0.003). Conclusion: subjects with whiplash show less range of shoulder mobility, as well as greater sensitivity of the ulnar and radial nerves.