A Comparison of the Benefits of Sonography and Electrophysiologic Measurements as Predictors of Symptom Severity and Functional Status in Patients With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Abstract Kaymak B, Özçakar L, Çetin A, Candan Çetin M, Akıncı A, Hasçelik Z. A comparison of the benefits of sonography and electrophysiologic measurements as predictors of symptom severity and functional status in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Objectives To clarify whether sonography or electrophysiologic testing is a better predictor of symptom severity and functional status in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and to assess the diagnostic value of sonography in patients with idiopathic CTS. Design Cross-sectional. Setting University hospital physical medicine and rehabilitation clinic. Participants Thirty-four hands with CTS and 38 normative hands were evaluated. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures The Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire, which comprised symptom severity and functional status scale, was applied to CTS patients. Bilateral upper-extremity nerve conduction studies of median and ulnar nerves and sonographic imaging of the median nerve were performed in all participants. Sonographic evaluation was performed by a physician blinded to the physical and electrophysiologic findings of the subjects. Results Cross-sectional areas (CSAs) of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel entrance and proximal carpal tunnel were 12.5±2.6 and 10.6±2.6 versus 15.6±4.2 and 11.5±3.2 in CTS patients versus controls, respectively. Increased CSA of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel entrance ( P