Compression Syndromes of the Radial Nerve

Compression syndromes of the radial nerve are less common. The classic syndrome is the supinator tunnel syndrome, a compression of the motor branch, now mostly known as posterior interosseous nerve syndrome. Its treatment is usually surgical, with compression often found under the Frohse’s arcade, but also tumors such as lipomas or ganglia. With the increasing use of imaging diagnostics, fascicle torsion of the posterior interosseous nerve proximal to the nerve exit from the radial main stem with identical clinical symptoms is increasingly observed. The existence of the radial tunnel syndrome, which is associated with “tennis elbow”, is controversial. The distal compression of the sensitive superficial branch, referred to as Wartenberg’s syndrome or cheiralgia, is to be distinguished from the more common pressure lesions, e.g., caused by bracelets.