None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a disabling condition and treatments such as wrist bracing and carpal tunnel release surgery can improve patient symptoms and functional outcomes. Nerve conduction testing has been proven to be a good diagnostic tool (both sensitive and specific) for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome. The association between a combination of extended risk factors and clinical features of carpal tunnel syndrome and its diagnosis has never been estimated via likelihood ratios. The association between pain experienced during nerve conduction testing and pain experienced from carpal tunnel syndrome has also never been established in the past. We aim to prove that: 1. There are multiple risk factors and clinical features associated with high positive likelihood ratio for the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome 2. Pain experienced during nerve conduction testing is more severe when pain related to carpal tunnel syndrome itself is more severe.
Interventions
This proposal involves prospective data collection from patients undergoing nerve conduction studies at the Lyell McEwin Hospital “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome clinic” to determine the clinical features and risk factors most associated with a diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome and response to treatment.
This involves prospective data collection using a standardised questionnaire administered both before and after nerve conduction studies are performed.
Information collected using the standardis
This proposal involves prospective data collection from patients undergoing nerve conduction studies at the Lyell McEwin Hospital “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome clinic” to determine the clinical features and risk factors most associated with a diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome and response to treatment. This involves prospective data collection using a standardised questionnaire administered both before and after nerve conduction studies are performed. Information collected using the standardised questionnaire includes clinical symptoms and signs (such as abnormal sensation in the first 3 fingers) , medical risk factors (such as history of diabetes mellitus or thyroid disease) and pain score with the Visual Analog Scale. Prospective data collection with a standardised questionnaire will take 5 minutes and folllow up phone calls will last between 2-3 minutes. A prospective analysis of nerve conduction testing results will be performed to determine the likelihood of each factor contributing to the diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), as well as the severity of discomfort experienced during nerve conduction studies. A follow up phone call will be performed at 6 and 12 months post-nerve conduction testing to determine the association between pain thresholds and benefit from surgery.
Sponsors
Lyell McEwin Hospital
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. Patients who are over 18 years of age 2. Patients presenting to LMH Carpal Tunnel Syndrome clinic for nerve conduction testing
Exclusion criteria
1. Contraindication to nerve conduction testing e.g. skin breakdown
Outcome results
None listed