Test-retest reliability of transcarpal sensory NCV method for diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome.
BACKGROUND
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the most frequent entrapment neuropathy affecting the upper extremity. There are a variety of electrodiagnostic methods available for documenting median neuropathy in CTS. In some studies, determining the sensory NCV across the palm-wrist segment has been introduced as the most sensitive diagnostic procedure for CTS. The aim of this study was to investigate the test-retest reliability of transcarpal median sensory NCV method for the diagnosis of CTS.


METHODS
Twenty-three patients with clinical symptoms of CTS were tested two times by two different practitioners in one session and again by the first practitioner after one week. Stimulation of the median nerve was performed in the wrist and palm, with a conduction distance maximum of 7 cm, reliabilities of median nerves sensory nerve action potential latencies with stimulation at wrist and palm (W-SNAP, P-SNAP) and its transcarpal NCV were assessed with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).


RESULTS
Comparison of the obtained values, which were done by two practitioners in one session showed ICC of W-SNAP latency, P-SNAP latency and transcarpal NCV of 0.93, 0.88 and 0.87, respectively and values that were done by one practitioner in two sessions with one-week interval showed ICC of 0.60, 0.50 and 0.47, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest excellent interpractitioner test-retest reliability of transcarpal median sensory NCV method for diagnosing CTS.
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Seyed Mostafa
SM
Jazayeri
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Alireza
A
Ashraf
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Hajar
H
Karimian
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Ali
A
Moghari
Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Asma
A
Azadeh
Carpal tunnel syndrome; electrodiagnosis; reliability of results