title: The effect of the involvement of the dominant or non-dominant hand on grip/pinch strengths and the Levine score in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.
abstract: The Levine questionnaire is a disease-oriented instrument developed for outcome measurement of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) management. The objective of this study was to compare Levine scores in patients with unilateral CTS, involving the dominant or non-dominant hand, before and after carpal tunnel release. Records of 144 patients, 126 women (87%) and 18 men (13%) aged a mean of 58 years with unilateral CTS, treated operatively, were analysed. The dominant hand was involved in 100 patients (69%), the non-dominant in 44 (31%). The parameters were analysed pre-operatively, and at 1 and 6 months post-operatively. A comparison of Levine scores in patients with the involvement of the dominant or non-dominant hand showed no statistically significant differences at baseline and any of the follow-up measurements. Statistically significant differences were noted in total grip strength at baseline and at 6 month assessments and in key-pinch strength at 1 and 6 months.
authors.affiliation: Department of General and Hand Surgery, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Poland. azyluk@hotmail.com
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zyluk
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Walaszek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D052581:Pinch Strength / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires