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Use of Nerve Conduction Studies and the Pressure-Specified Sensory Device in the Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel SyndromeFrom the South Bay Hand Surgery Center, Torrance, CA, USA Correspondence: David J. Slutsky, MD, FRCS[C], South Bay Hand Surgery Center, 3475 Torrance Blvd., Ste F, Torrance, CA 90503, USA. Tel.: +1 310 792 1809; fax: +1 310 792 1811. E-mail:d-slutsky{at}msn.com. Sixty-nine patients with signs of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) underwent nerve conduction studies (NCS) and testing with the Pressure-Specified Sensory Device (PSSD). A total of 102 tests were performed (28 bilateral). Twenty patients underwent a carpal tunnel release and were retested after 4 to 6 months. The Symptom Severity Score (SSS) was calculated before and after surgery. A control group of 20 hands in 10 asymptomatic volunteers underwent identical testing. The NCS sensitivity was 87% with a specificity of 90% whereas the PSSD sensitivity was 81% with a specificity of 65%. The combined sensitivity of the two tests was 93%. In the operative group the SSS improved from a mean of 3.34 pre-operatively to 1.95 postoperatively. The NCS improved in 19/21 hands whereas the PSSD improved in 16/19 hands. The non-invasive SSS and PSSD can increase the diagnostic yield in CTS, especially when the NCS are normal.
Key Words: carpal tunnel syndrome testing
This version was published on February
1, 2009 Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume), Vol. 34, No. 1,
60-65 (2009) |
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