title: Carpal tunnel syndrome. An evaluation of the provocative diagnostic tests.
abstract: In order to evaluate the usefulness of provocative tests (wrist-flexion test, nerve-percussion test, and tourniquet test) in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome, the results of provocative testing were evaluated in a group of patients (sixty-seven hands) with electrodiagnostically proved carpal-tunnel syndrome and in a group of fifty control subjects. The sensitivity and specificity of each test were calculated. The wrist-flexion test was found to be the most sensitive while the nerve-percussion test, although least sensitive, was most specific. The tourniquet test was quite insensitive and not very specific, and should not be used as a routine screening test in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome.
mesh_terms: D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D009068:Movement; D009431:Neural Conduction; D010474:Percussion; D014111:Tourniquets; D014955:Wrist Joint / Q000503:physiopathology