Controversies in nerve entrapment syndromes in the forearm and wrist.

The five tunnels of the forearm and wrist, where nerve entrapment most frequently occurs, have been analyzed for diagnosis, treatment, anatomic variations, and prognosis. The value of a positive EMG report is to reinforce a clinical impression. If negative, it does not exclude the entrapment syndrome. When the diagnosis is accurate, the timing of surgery precise, and the surgical technique meticulous, the results from nerve entrapment surgery can be the most rewarding of all upper extremity surgery.