Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2005 , Vol 51 , Num 4

Relationship Between Clinical Findings and Elektrodiagnostic Studies in Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Şenay Özdolap 1 ,Selda Sarıkaya 1 ,Murat Sumer 2 ,H. Tuğrul Atasoy 2
1 Bülent Ecevit Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Anabilim Dalı, Zonguldak, Türkiye
2 Karaelmas Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Nöroloji Anabilim Dalı, Zonguldak

Objective: Compression of the median nerve at the wrist is the most frequent entrapment neuropathy observed. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between the symptoms, signs, physical examination findings, functional status and electrodiagnostic findings of patients who were diagnosed as carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) with electrodiagnostic study. 
 

Materials and Methods: Seventyone hands of 53 patients (48 female, 5 male) with a mean age of 47±10.06 years were included in this study. Patients were asked about their demographic data. Tinnel’s and Phalen’s tests, wrist dimensions, hand grip and pinch strength were recorded. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to investigate the severity of symptoms of daytime and night, and all the patients filled Duruoz Hand Scale in order to determine their hand functions.
 

Results: There was no statistically significant correlation between the severity of symptoms, wrist dimensions, grip and pinch strength, Duruoz Hand Scale and electrodiagnostic findings (p>0.05). There was a positive correlation between Duruoz Hand Scale and visual analogue scale (daytime) (r=0.310, p=0.009), and a negative correlation was present between grip strength and visual analogue scale (daytime) (r=-0.242, p=0.04). Sensitivity of Tinnel’s and Phalen’s tests were 57.74% and 60.56%, respectively.  
 

Conclusion: While there is no significant relation between the clinical symptoms and signs and electrodiagnostic findings; correlation between VAS(daytime) and DES, hand grip strenght proves that activities of daily living is severely impaired. Although symptoms and signs could not be used for the diagnosis of CTS, we think that they could be usefull for following-up of the patients.  

Keywords : Carpal tunnel syndrome, grip and pinch strength, Duruöz Hand Scale, electrodiagnosis