title: Surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome in patients exposed to vibration from handheld tools.
abstract: During 1985 at Sabbatsberg Hospital in Stockholm, carpal tunnel decompression was done for 50 men (58 hands) with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). In 1988 2.5 to 3 years after the operations, a questionnaire about their present health was answered by 43 men (50 hands). In 10/17 (59%) hands exposed to vibrations and 26/33 (79%) not exposed, carpal tunnel decompression had resulted in no recurrence of neurological symptoms at follow up. Preoperative signs of neurophysiological dysfunction of the ulnar nerve, which might indicate a more widespread neuropathy, did not correlate with poor postoperative function of the median nerve. We recommend that patients with carpal tunnel syndrome should be operated on, whether or not they have been exposed to vibration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Sabbatsberg Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boström
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Göthe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hansson
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lugnegård
authors.forename: B Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Nilsson
mesh_terms: D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014732:Vibration