Median Palmar Cutaneous Nerve Injury in a Volleyball Player

Gitkind Al, Zhao P, Oh-Park MY, Fast A: Median palmar cutaneous nerve injury in a volleyball player. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2009;88:272-274. A 14-yr-old female patient, a competitive high school volleyball player, was seen for an evaluation of right-hand numbness and tingling. Her symptoms began insidiously, midway through her second season of competitive play. Numbness and tingling improved with rest but returned immediately after resuming competition. Plain radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging were within normal limits. Meticulous sensory examination revealed a decrease in sensation to light touch over an area consistent with the distribution of the palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve. It is postulated that the patient's complaints were due to right median palmar cutaneous nerve damage secondary to repetitive trauma to the right forearm and wrist as a result of her competitive volleyball play. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of median palmar cutaneous nerve damage as a result of participation in competitive volleyball.