Local steroid injection to the recently compressed nerve might facilitate the recovery of conduction block. Steroid relieves high-tissue pressure secondary to inflammatory reaction such as edema or cell infiltration.

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of local steroid injection in acute experimental compression neuropathy with complete conduction block of the caudal nerves of 31 rats. The day after compression, the compression site was injected with 0.4 mL dexamethasone acetate (4 mg/mL suspension) in eleven rats (group A), and 0.4 mL normal saline in another eight rats (group B). The remaining twelve rats (group C) received no injection. The amplitudes of the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and motor nerve conduction velocity (NCV) over the compression segment were measured before and after nerve compression. The recovery rate of amplitude of CMAP and NCV in group A was significantly higher than that in groups B or C (p<0.05).

Keywords :Steroid, Conduction block, Compression neuropathy