Ultrasound for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Screening in Manual Laborers

Overview

Journal Muscle Nerve

Date 2013 May 8

PMID 23649357

Citations 5

Authors

Michael S Cartwright

Francis O Walker

Jill N Blocker

Mark R Schulz

Thomas A Arcury

Joseph G Grzywacz

Dana Mora

Haiying Chen

Antonio J Marin

Sara A Quandt

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Introduction: Manual laborers are at increased risk for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and a combination of history, physical examination, and nerve conduction studies is often used to screen for CTS in this population. Neuromuscular ultrasound may be a better screening tool, because it is painless. In this study we compare the accuracy of nerve conduction studies and ultrasound for CTS screening.

Methods: Five hundred thirteen manual laborers were screened prospectively for CTS using nerve conduction studies and neuromuscular ultrasound, and the accuracy of the 2 techniques was compared using the Katz hand diagram as the diagnostic standard.

Results: The ROC curves for the 2 techniques were not significantly different (P = 0.542), indicating that the approaches had similar diagnostic accuracy.

Conclusions: Neuromuscular ultrasound is a painless technique that has diagnostic accuracy similar to nerve conduction studies and can be used to screen large populations at risk for CTS.

Citing Articles

Diagnostic Accuracy of Neuromuscular Ultrasound vs. Electrodiagnostic Studies for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Paired Accuracy Studies.

Miller L, Hammert W, Rekant M, Fowler J Hand (N Y). 2024; :15589447241278972.

PMID: 39324685 PMC: 11559833. DOI: 10.1177/15589447241278972.

Automated segmentation of the median nerve in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Moser F, Muller S, Lie T, Lango T, Hoff M Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):16757.

PMID: 39033223 PMC: 11271291. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-65840-5.

Successful evaluation of a new image-based parameter for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome: ultrasound assessment of longitudinal median nerve gliding in patients, healthy volunteers, and cadavers.

Rossmann T, Pruidze P, Veldeman M, Weninger W, Grisold W, Chang K Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2024; 60(4):671-679.

PMID: 39007786 PMC: 11407101. DOI: 10.23736/S1973-9087.24.08491-0.

Sonographic diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome: a study in 200 hospital workers.

do Amaral E Castro A, Skare T, Nassif P, Sakuma A, Barros W Radiol Bras. 2015; 48(5):287-91.

PMID: 26543279 PMC: 4633072. DOI: 10.1590/0100-3984.2014.0069.

Carpal tunnel syndrome severity staging using sonographic and clinical measures.

Roll S, Volz K, Fahy C, Evans K Muscle Nerve. 2014; 51(6):838-45.

PMID: 25287477 PMC: 4388767. DOI: 10.1002/mus.24478.

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