Peripheral Nerve Injury Patterns in US Emergency Departments: High-Risk Demographics and Nerve-Specific Trends

Background Peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) commonly result in long-term disability and pain. High-quality epidemiological data are needed to ensure efficient clinical resource allocation. This study investigated the epidemiologic and nerve type-specific patterns of PNI-related emergency department (ED) visits in the US over the last decade. Methods Data were extracted from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), a database representing 100 US EDs. NEISS was queried for ED admissions with nerve damage (code 61) from January 2014 to December 2023. Demographic information, visit date, diagnosis, and body area involved were extracted and rates were analyzed using linear regression. Results NEISS returned a national estimate Based on 1816 database entries, NEISS provided a case estimate of 79975 US ED admissionsn for PNI between 2014 and 2023, including cases, including 54.7% male and 45.3% female patients. The rate of PNI-related ED admissions increased among males ( p = 0.039). Young adults (age 20–39) were most affected with 37% of admissions, followed by adults (28.5%, age 40–59), old adults (23.2%, 60 +), teenagers (7.9%, 14–19) and children (3.4%, 13). The upper extremity was most affected (76.6%). 87.6% of patients were not hospitalized. Median nerves were most injured (44.1%), followed by radial (28.1%) and ulnar (18.5%) nerves. Importantly, 38.3% of PNIs involved ulnar nerves in teenagers, compared to 13.8 and 13.6% in adults and old adults. Conclusion This Level of Evidence IV study found that young male adults are at particularly high risk for PNIs. Teenagers show high rates of ulnar injuries, which pose an especially high risk for disability and poor functional recovery. Preventive strategies are needed to reduce nerve injury rates, particularly brachial plexus and ulnar nerve injuries in a school and sports setting. Level of Evidence Level IV—descriptive database study.