Objective: The incidence, cause, and prognosis of sciatic neuropathy in children is not well understood. We report our 30-year experience of 53 patients with pediatric sciatic neuropathies (SN).Methods: Prospective review of the history, physical examination, electrophysiologic findings, and clinical course of children with SN. Results:The etiology of SN injury was varied and included trauma (13), iatrogenic causes (13) (8 orthopedic surgeries and 5 miscellaneous surgeries), prolonged extrinsic compression and immobilization (6), tumors (7), vascular (5), idiopathic and progressive (4), infantile and nonprogressive (2), and unknown, presumed postviral (3). Electrophysiologic studies demonstrated abnormalities in motor conduction studies of the peroneal nerve in 44/53 (83%) or tibial nerve in 35/51 (67%). Sensory conduction studies were abnormal in sural nerve in 34 of 43 cases (79%), and superficial peroneal nerves in 15/25 (60%). Needle EMG was abnormal in peroneal innervated muscles in all subjects, in tibial nerve innervated muscles in 43/51 (84%), and in the hamstrings in 18/29 (62%). Prognosis for recovery was variable and depended on the etiology and the severity of the nerve injury. Mononeuropathies are uncommon in children; however, in our experience, pediatric sciatic neuropathy (SN) represents approximately one-fourth of all mononeuropathies. Conclusions:1 SN lesions may be underappreciated in childhood. We describe the clinical features of children who presented with SN over a 30-year period. Clinical assessment. Staff neurologists, neurosurgeons, or orthopedic surgeons evaluated all children in the study before EMG evaluation. A staff electromyographer reviewed the history and neurologic examination at the time of the EMG with the patient and parents/ guardians. Follow-up data were obtained by clinical examination, review of charts, telephone conversations, and occasionally a repeat EMG. Electrophysiologic evaluation.Nerve conduction studies (NCS) and needle EMG were performed in children using Dantec Counterpoint (Dantec Electronic, Tonsbakken, Skovlunde, Denmark), TECS TE42 machine (Teca Corporation, Pleasantville, NY) or the Teca TM Synergy N-EM-EMG monitoring systems (Oxford Instruments, Oxford, UK); standard filter settings were utilized. Electrophysiologic studies were performed without sedation in the majority; in rare instances, sedation was used. In each child with a suspected SN, motor NCS included responses from the extensor digitorum brevis, abductor hallucis brevis, and in some instances tibialis anterior. Sensory NCS included sural nerve and in some instances superficial peroneal nerve responses. Plantar sensory responses were studied in preference to the technically difficult sural response in infants. Contralateral limbs were studied if there was possibility of a systemic process or multiple limb involvement. Normative data were as previously published. 1 H-reflex studies and F-wave studies were performed infrequently. Muscles

Four cases of pediatric sciatic neuropathies due to unusual vascular mechanisms are reported. Pediatric sciatic neuropathies were seen after umbilical artery catheterization, embolization of arteriovenous malformation, meningococcemia, and hypereosinophilic vasculitis. Electrophysiologic studies demonstrated abnormalities in motor studies of peroneal and tibial nerves. Sensory studies demonstrated abnormalities of sural and superficial peroneal nerves. Results of needle electromyography were abnormal in sciatic-innervated muscles. Prognosis was variable and depended on the severity of the initial nerve injury.