title: The carpal tunnel syndrome is a bilateral disorder.
abstract: We studied, retrospectively, 131 patients who had undergone an open operation for the carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in 229 hands. The symptoms were present on both sides in 59% of patients when first seen. Neurophysiological impairment of the median nerve was observed in 66% of the asymptomatic hands, and 73% of patients in this group developed symptoms of CTS after the opposite side had been operated on. Follow-up of patients with unilateral CTS showed that the subsequent development of disease in the unaffected hand is very common. We conclude that CTS is a bilateral disorder and that it becomes more evident as time passes. There is a correlation between the duration of symptoms and bilateral occurrence.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, SSK Istanbul Training Hospital, Turkey.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Bagatur
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zorer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004576:Electromyography; D019054:Evoked Potentials, Motor / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D012086:Reoperation