Management of Peripheral Nerve Problems, ed 2.

Management of Peripheral Nerve Problems, ed 2 Omer GE, Spinner M, VanBeek AL, eds. Philadelphia, PA 19106, WB Saunders Co, 1998, hardcover, 848 pp, illus, $185.

As mentioned in the preface, this book was intended to be a "comprehensive guide for surgeons managing peripheral nerve injuries," providing insights and practical tips from more than 100 highly regarded experts. Although most of these experts were surgeons, several hand therapists also helped coauthor chapters in this book. Evolving concepts regarding various microsurgical techniques served as the primary impetus for producing the tome's 73 chapters.

This is a comprehensive book. It deals largely with surgical techniques, but also provides good coverage of the scientific justification for each surgical approach. Although most of the book covers the upper extremities, other areas such as the lower extremities and face are also discussed. In addition, a number of chapters deal with nonsurgical issues such as sensory and motor testing, hand therapy decision making, pain clinics, and impairment evaluations.

The quality of this book's content is generally excellent. Most of the chapters are followed by a long list of appropriate references. These lists include new references, but they often include older references that help to establish a historical perspective. Unfortunately, a few of the authors used the reference section as a banner-waving opportunity, citing their own work in large measure. However, this was the exception rather than the rule.

Considering its bulk, this book is very well organized. The chapters proceed in a logical fashion, with many chapters setting up the chapter that follows. The writing styles used throughout the book were remarkably homogenous, making it quite easy to read. Considering the book's numerous contributors, this unified style represents an enormous editorial accomplishment.

There are 1,000 illustrations included in this publication. Most of these are black-and-white surgical photographs or relatively simple line drawings. The illustrations are of a high quality and compliment the text.

This book should be quite relevant to any physical therapist who manages patients with peripheral nerve lesions, especially if those lesions occur within the upper extremity. Admittedly, only a few of the chapters directly address physical therapy approaches, and these chapters are largely limited to hand therapy. On the other hand, this book details many of the surgical procedures that physical therapists often see in their patients. In order to be a reflective practitioner, it is essential to have a general awareness of the patient's surgery and the potential impact of this surgery on various therapeutic approaches. I do not recommend this book for most individual therapists; however, I do recommend it as a reference tool to be used in large physical therapy departments and specialty care (eg, hand therapy) clinics.

SG Patrick Hardy, PhD, PT University of Mississippi Medical Center Jackson, Miss

Dr Hardy is Professor in the physical therapy program where he teaches neuroanatomy and gross anatomy. He also conducts basic neuroscience research pertaining to cortical and subcortical influences on blood pressure.