title: The prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome among long-term manual wheelchair users with spinal cord injury: A cross-sectional study.
abstract: Use of a handrim wheelchair could force the wrist into extreme excursions and encroachment of the median nerve.
  
  
  
  We performed a study of the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome in prolonged wheelchair users.
  
  
  
  A cross-sectional study was conducted for one year in an outpatient clinic of spinal cord injury.
  
  
  
  Patients had traumatic injury at the first thoracic level and below, with time since injury of at least 5 years.
  
  
  
  The prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome by history taking, clinical examinations and motor and sensory nerve conduction studies of median nerve performed for both hands.
  
  
  
  Participants (N = 297) were all male. Mean (SD) age and duration since injury were 48 (8.5) and 23 (6.6) years, respectively. A significant difference in median duration of injury based on the severity of the syndrome (P < 0.001), and a significant trend in time since injury for the severity (P (one tailed) < 0.001) were seen. There was a significant difference in the median age among the groups (P = 0.009), and the median increased with the severity (P (one tailed) = 0.001).
  
  
  
  Carpal tunnel syndrome is a common side effect of the long time use of wheelchair, and its severity is associated with duration of wheelchair use and age. Alternative methods for wheelchair propulsion should be developed to diminish the likelihood of the syndrome.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine , Baqiatallah University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Mahsa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asheghan
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine , Baqiatallah University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Taghi
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Hollisaz
authors.affiliation: b Shafa Neuroscience Research Center , Khatamolanbia Hospital , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Taher
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taheri
authors.affiliation: b Shafa Neuroscience Research Center , Khatamolanbia Hospital , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Hadi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kazemi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine , Baqiatallah University of Medical Sciences , Tehran , Iran.
authors.forename: Amidoddin Khatibi
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Aghda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011897:Random Allocation; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014910:Wheelchairs / Q000009:adverse effects*
keywords: Carpal tunnel syndrome; Electrodiagnostic study; Median nerve; Spinal cord injury; Wheelchair