Severe compression neuropathy following sudden onset of parkinsonian immobility

R. Kurlan, P. Baker, C. Miller and I. Shoulson

Prolonged immobility with adoption of unusual fixed body postures may lead to compression neuropathy. Although parkinsonism has not been considered to predispose to nerve compression, we report three patients with Parkinson's disease and on-off motor fluctuations who developed severe compression neuropathy following a sudden onset off period. The stereotyped posture assumed by parkinsonian patients during an off period appears to make them especially prone to injury of the radial nerve in the upper arm and the brachial plexus.