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Nerve compression syndromes of the upper limb
CD-Rom and Book Reviews
Nerve compression syndromes of the upper limb By Yves Allieu, Susan E. Mackinnon; Martin Dunitz, London, 2002; ISBN 1853176095; Price £70-00 GBP While the classic symptoms and signs of median nerve compression within the carpal tunnel can be recited by most medical students, as a whole, compression neuropathy syndromes of the upper limb can present some of the most perplexing problems of diagnosis and management for the surgeon. Susan Mackinnon has been associated with much of the literature in this area and here, in collaboration with Yves Allieu, she has edited an excellent text dealing specifically with nerve compression syndromes in the upper limb. The book begins with chapters on the pathology of compression neuropathy and the clinical and electrodiagnostic assessment of the nerve compression syndrome patient. These serve as a basis for the later chapters, which in turn focus on each of the major nerve compression syndromes affecting the upper limb. The chapters are structured in a consistent manner and the writing is concise. The text is well illustrated with black and white photographs and line diagrams, and each chapter has been thoroughly referenced with in-text citations. The individual authors have emphasised the anatomical aetiology and the clinical assessment required for diagnosis of each of the nerve compression syndromes. Recommendations for treatment include due emphasis on conservative treatment options as well as
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the detailed description of surgical techniques of decompression. The role of the physical therapy is further elaborated in the last chapter, which takes this as its subject. While the text includes enough of the basic information required for assessment and management of the various syndromes to appeal to those beginning a career in surgery or therapy, the authors have also balanced this approach with the inclusion of enough information and opinion to be of value to the experienced hand and upper limb surgeon or therapist. This latter point is illustrated by the inclusion of more esoteric chapters focusing on nerve compression syndromes in the musician and the athlete. This book is a welcome addition to the library of peripheral nerve surgery texts. Doctors Allieu and Mackinnon deserve congratulations for assembling this authorative and accessible text. ‘Nerve Compression Syndromes of the Upper Limb’ will appeal to all those with an interest in this often difficult and sometimes satisfying area of hand and upper limb surgery. D.B. McCombe University of Melbourne, Department of Surgery, St Vincents Hospital, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia PII: S 0 0 0 7 - 1 2 2 6 ( 0 3 ) 0 0 6 0 8 - 8
Nerve compression syndromes of the upper limb By Yves Allieu, Susan E. Mackinnon; Martin Dunitz, London, 2002; ISBN 1853176095; Price £70-00 GBP While the classic symptoms and signs of median nerve compression within the carpal tunnel can be recited by most medical students, as a whole, compression neuropathy syndromes of the upper limb can present some of the most perplexing problems of diagnosis and management for the surgeon. Susan Mackinnon has been associated with much of the literature in this area and here, in collaboration with Yves Allieu, she has edited an excellent text dealing specifically with nerve compression syndromes in the upper limb. The book begins with chapters on the pathology of compression neuropathy and the clinical and electrodiagnostic assessment of the nerve compression syndrome patient. These serve as a basis for the later chapters, which in turn focus on each of the major nerve compression syndromes affecting the upper limb. The chapters are structured in a consistent manner and the writing is concise. The text is well illustrated with black and white photographs and line diagrams, and each chapter has been thoroughly referenced with in-text citations. The individual authors have emphasised the anatomical aetiology and the clinical assessment required for diagnosis of each of the nerve compression syndromes. Recommendations for treatment include due emphasis on conservative treatment options as well as
291
the detailed description of surgical techniques of decompression. The role of the physical therapy is further elaborated in the last chapter, which takes this as its subject. While the text includes enough of the basic information required for assessment and management of the various syndromes to appeal to those beginning a career in surgery or therapy, the authors have also balanced this approach with the inclusion of enough information and opinion to be of value to the experienced hand and upper limb surgeon or therapist. This latter point is illustrated by the inclusion of more esoteric chapters focusing on nerve compression syndromes in the musician and the athlete. This book is a welcome addition to the library of peripheral nerve surgery texts. Doctors Allieu and Mackinnon deserve congratulations for assembling this authorative and accessible text. ‘Nerve Compression Syndromes of the Upper Limb’ will appeal to all those with an interest in this often difficult and sometimes satisfying area of hand and upper limb surgery. D.B. McCombe University of Melbourne, Department of Surgery, St Vincents Hospital, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia PII: S 0 0 0 7 - 1 2 2 6 ( 0 3 ) 0 0 6 0 8 - 8