Articles: neuralgia.
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Six patients representing seven cases of spontaneous (nontraumatic) saphenous neuralgia secondary to entrapment of the nerve in the subsartorial canal are presented. All patients complained of medial knee and leg pain. Clinical findings included tenderness over the subsartorial canal and sensory changes in the cutaneous distribution of one or both terminal branches of the saphenous nerve. ⋯ All patients were treated operatively, which resulted in symptomatic improvement. All six patients initially underwent external neurolysis; however, three patients required saphenous neurectomy for recurrent symptoms. Saphenous neuralgia should be considered in the differential diagnosis of medial lower extremity pain.
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Rhizolysis has been regarded as a controversial, but safe, procedure for the treatment of back pain. A case of a neuralgia-like pain syndrome resulting from transection of the lateral branches of the lumbar dorsal rami during rhizolysis is reported. The anatomy of the lumbar lateral branches is described, and their vulnerability is discussed. Attention is drawn to the likelihood of this complication with the use of rhizolysis in the vicinity of cutaneous branches of the dorsal rami