title: Diagnosis of Severe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Using Nerve Conduction Study and Ultrasonography.
abstract: This study investigated the correlation between nerve conduction study and ultrasonographic findings for assessment of the usefulness of ultrasonography in determining carpal tunnel syndrome severity. Hands of adults with carpal tunnel syndrome were assessed using ultrasound and nerve conduction studies and grouped according to median nerve cross-sectional area (CSA). There were significant differences (p < 0.01) in mean median nerve CSA between controls, patients with median sensory nerve conduction velocity ≤40 m/s and patients with absent sensory nerve action potential and between controls, patients with median nerve distal motor latency ≥4.5 ms and patients with absent compound muscle action potentials of the abductor pollicis brevis. This is the first report to define median nerve CSA cutoff values (18 mm(2)) for determining carpal tunnel syndrome severity in patients with absent compound muscle action potentials of the abductor pollicis brevis. Median nerve CSA values below the cutoff values should prompt clinicians to consider other disorders, such as cervical compressive myelopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan. Electronic address: kafuji@yamaguchi-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Kazuhiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsukasa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanchiku
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Ehime Rosai Hospital, Niihama, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kido
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imajo
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Funaba
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Yamaguchi University Graduate School of Medicine, Ube, Yamaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taguchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003943:Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological; D004568:Electrodiagnosis / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Carpal tunnel syndrome; Cross-sectional area; Median nerve; Nerve conduction study; Ultrasonography