LAUSR

BACKROUND The mechanical behavior of the peripheral nervous system under elongation and tension has not been adequately established in vivo. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this review is to investigate the mechanical behavior of the peripheral nervous system in vivo. METHODS In vivo studies which evaluated the effects of limb movement and neurodynamic tests on peripheral nerve biomechanics were systematically searched in PubMed (Medline), the Cochrane Database, CINAHL, PEDro, Embase and Web of Science. Studies fulfilling the search criteria were assessed for methodological quality with a modified version of the Down & Blacks scale by two reviewers. RESULTS This review includes the results of 22 studies, of which 15 examined limb movement influencing the median nerve, four the sciatic nerve, two the tibial nerve; and one each the ulnar and peroneal nerves respectively. Substantial nerve longitudinal and transverse excursion and changes in diameter were reported. Despite this, increased nerve strain was not a major finding. CONCLUSION The heterogeneity of included studies, including wide variety of nerves tested, measurement location and joint position prevented comparisons between studies and also amalgamation of data. Limb movement induces complex biomechanical effects of which nerve elongation plays only a minor role.