title: Development of a carpal tunnel syndrome screening method using structured interviews and vibrotactile testing.
abstract: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a debilitating and expensive health problem. An inexpensive screening method that would differentiate between people who do not have CTS and those that may have CTS would be useful. The screening methodology investigated here had two phases: a structured interview and provocative vibrotactile testing (VT). The control group (n = 36) was composed of asymptomatic college students and faculty, the case group was composed of patients currently visiting an occupational medicine clinic for symptoms consistent with CTS. The case group was subdivided into positive and negative for nerve conduction latency, NCL+ (n = 21) and NCL- (n = 13), respectively. Using a scored, structured interview, 33 of the controls and none of the symptomatic cases were identified as non-CTS. The results from the provocative flexion VT indicated that if the difference between the age corrected baseline and the threshold at 15 minutes is 15 microm or more, the subject was likely to be NCL+ (odds ratio 12.6, 95% CI 3.8 to 41.8). Further research may improve this screening methodology to not only determine whether or not a person has CTS, but also to determine the level of median nerve impingement or damage.
authors: University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112-9208, USA. R.Sesek@utah.edu
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Sesek
authors: Phillip
authors: P
authors: Drinkaus
authors: Mehdi
authors: M
authors: Khalighi
authors: Robert P
authors: RP
authors: Tuckett
authors: Donald S
authors: DS
authors: Bloswick
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004568:Electrodiagnosis; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000294:innervation* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology