HEALTH NEWS

Doctors who were trying to grow new blood vessels with gene therapy found a welcome side effect: The therapy repaired what they thought was permanent nerve damage.

The patients had poor circulation in their legs, several due to diabetes. Without treatment, they faced possible amputation. They already had ischemia, or a serious lack of blood flow to their legs. When the lack of blood is severe, nerves can be permanently damaged. At least doctors thought it was permanent.

The doctors injected the patients with a gene therapy called vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) to attempt to grow back some of the damaged blood vessels.

The Boston Globe reported that one of the patients, who the doctors called “very observant,” noticed that the numbness in his leg had decreased considerably.

The research was published in the May issue of Archives of Neurology, and was led by Dr. Drasko Simovic, assistant professor of neurology at Tufts University School of Medicine…

CONTACT US
LOCATIONS

Copyright: EMG Laboratory, LLC

Illustration Attributions

LAWRENCE:
EMG LABORATORY
25 MARSTON STREET #208
LAWRENCE, MA 01841

TEL: 978-687-2586

FAX: 978-687-8268

HYANNIS:
EMG LABORATORY
51 MAIN STREET #6
HYANNIS, MA 02601
TEL: 508-775-2600
FAX: 508-775-1437

Medical illustrations on this website are attributed to: Freepik.com and author Kjpargeter

Lateral Femoral Cutaneous Nerve

From: www.wheelessonline.com 

– Anatomy:    

– LFCN, as its name suggests, is purely sensory;    
– it arises from L2 and L3, travels downward lateral to the psoas muscle, crosses the iliacus muscle (deep to fascia), passes either thru or underneath the lateral aspect of the inguinal ligament, and finally travels onto innervate the lateral thigh;
– it divides into anterior and posterior branches and supplies skin on lateral aspect of thigh;
– in the study by Hospodar et al (JTO 1999), the course of the nerve was variable, but was most commonly found at 10-15 mm from the ASIS and as far medially as 46 mm from the ASIS;
– in no specimen did the nerve pass lateral to the ASIS (eventhough historically the nerve is thought to pass lateral to the ASIS in 10% of population);
– in all specimens the nerve passed underneath the ilioginal ligament and anterior to the iliacus muscle; 

– Meralgia Paresthetica: 

– entrapment syndrome of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve causing burning, numbness, and paresthesias down the proximal-lateral aspect of the thigh;
– may be idiopathic, be a result of trauma, previous operations, and in some cases may arise from Perthes Disease abduction splints;
– in idiopathic cases, the nerve may be encased in bone by the growing apophysis of the anterior superior iliac spine, or may be entrapped in fascia either proximal or distal to the ASIS;    
– diagnosis is made by:           
– reproduction of the pain by deep palpation just below the anterior superior iliac spine and by hip extension;           
– relief of pain by localized injection of lidocaine;    
– treatment: when diagnosis is not in doubt and the symptoms are severe, consider operative decompression at the site of constriction;

EMG and NCS

Electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS) are tests that measure the electrical activity of muscles and nerves. Nerves send out electrical signals to make your muscles react in certain ways. Nerves also send signals from your skin to your brain, which then processes the signals, so you can experience a variety of skin sensations.

  • An EMG Test looks at the electrical signals your muscles make when they are at rest and when they are being used.
  • A Nerve Conduction Study measures how fast and how well the body’s electrical signals travel along your nerves. EMG and nerve conduction studies are used to help diagnose a variety of muscle and nerve disorders and to quantify the severity of your condition.


An EMG test helps find out if muscles are responding the right way to nerve signals. Nerve conduction studies help diagnose nerve damage or disease. When EMG tests and nerve conduction studies are done together, they help doctors tell if your symptoms are caused by a muscle disorder or a nerve problem. With EMG and NCS studies, your doctor can next select the best therapeutic option to help you.