Electrodiagnostic Examination of the Tibial Nerve in Clinically Normal Ferrets

Abstract

Tibial nerves of 10 normal domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) were evaluated by means of electrodiagnostic tests: motor nerve conduction studies (MNCSs), supramaximal repetitive nerve stimulation (SRNS),Fwaves, and cord dorsum potentials (CDPs). Values of conduction velocity, proximal and distal compound muscular action potentials, and amplitudes of MNCS were, respectively, 63.25 7.56 m/sec, 10.79 2.75 mV, and 13.02 3.41 mV. Mean decrements in amplitude and area of compound muscular action potentials of wave 9 with low frequency SRNS were 0.3 3.83% and 0.1 3.51%. The minimum latency of theFwaves and theFratio were, respectively, 8.49 0.65 ms and 1.92 0.17. Onset latency of CDP was 1.99 0.03 ms. These tests may help in diagnosing neuromuscular disorders and in better characterizing the hindlimb paresis reported in many ferrets with systemic illnesses.