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Carpal tunnel syndrome

Dahlin, Lars B. LU orcid ; Zimmerman, Malin LU orcid ; Calcagni, Maurizio ; Hundepool, Caroline A. ; van Alfen, Nens and Chung, Kevin C. (2024) In Nature Reviews Disease Primers 10(1).
Abstract

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common nerve entrapment disorder worldwide. The epidemiology and risk factors, including family burden, for developing CTS are multi-factorial. Despite much research, its intricate pathophysiological mechanism(s) are not fully understood. An underlying subclinical neuropathy may indicate an increased susceptibility to developing CTS. Although surgery is often performed for CTS, clear international guidelines to indicate when to perform non-surgical or surgical treatment, based on stage and severity of CTS, remain to be elucidated. Neurophysiological examination, using electrophysiology or ultrasonography, performed in certain circumstances, should correlate with the history and findings in... (More)

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common nerve entrapment disorder worldwide. The epidemiology and risk factors, including family burden, for developing CTS are multi-factorial. Despite much research, its intricate pathophysiological mechanism(s) are not fully understood. An underlying subclinical neuropathy may indicate an increased susceptibility to developing CTS. Although surgery is often performed for CTS, clear international guidelines to indicate when to perform non-surgical or surgical treatment, based on stage and severity of CTS, remain to be elucidated. Neurophysiological examination, using electrophysiology or ultrasonography, performed in certain circumstances, should correlate with the history and findings in clinical examination of the person with CTS. History and clinical examination are particularly relevant globally owing to lack of other equipment. Various instruments are used to assess CTS and treatment outcomes as well as the effect of the disorder on quality of life. The surgical treatment options of CTS — open or endoscopic — offer an effective solution to mitigate functional impairments and pain. However, there are risks of post-operative persistent or recurrent symptoms, requiring meticulous diagnostic re-evaluation before any additional surgery. Health-care professionals should have increased awareness about CTS and all its implications. Future considerations of CTS include use of linked national registries to understand risk factors, explore possible screening methods, and evaluate diagnosis and treatment with a broader perspective beyond surgery, including psychological well-being.

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author
; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Nature Reviews Disease Primers
volume
10
issue
1
article number
37
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:38782929
  • scopus:85194130282
ISSN
2056-676X
DOI
10.1038/s41572-024-00521-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
30059e1e-1e08-4459-8957-23532889fb9b
date added to LUP
2024-06-05 13:16:08
date last changed
2024-06-19 14:04:52
@article{30059e1e-1e08-4459-8957-23532889fb9b,
  abstract     = {{<p>Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common nerve entrapment disorder worldwide. The epidemiology and risk factors, including family burden, for developing CTS are multi-factorial. Despite much research, its intricate pathophysiological mechanism(s) are not fully understood. An underlying subclinical neuropathy may indicate an increased susceptibility to developing CTS. Although surgery is often performed for CTS, clear international guidelines to indicate when to perform non-surgical or surgical treatment, based on stage and severity of CTS, remain to be elucidated. Neurophysiological examination, using electrophysiology or ultrasonography, performed in certain circumstances, should correlate with the history and findings in clinical examination of the person with CTS. History and clinical examination are particularly relevant globally owing to lack of other equipment. Various instruments are used to assess CTS and treatment outcomes as well as the effect of the disorder on quality of life. The surgical treatment options of CTS — open or endoscopic — offer an effective solution to mitigate functional impairments and pain. However, there are risks of post-operative persistent or recurrent symptoms, requiring meticulous diagnostic re-evaluation before any additional surgery. Health-care professionals should have increased awareness about CTS and all its implications. Future considerations of CTS include use of linked national registries to understand risk factors, explore possible screening methods, and evaluate diagnosis and treatment with a broader perspective beyond surgery, including psychological well-being.</p>}},
  author       = {{Dahlin, Lars B. and Zimmerman, Malin and Calcagni, Maurizio and Hundepool, Caroline A. and van Alfen, Nens and Chung, Kevin C.}},
  issn         = {{2056-676X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Nature Reviews Disease Primers}},
  title        = {{Carpal tunnel syndrome}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41572-024-00521-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/s41572-024-00521-1}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}