Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Case Reports and Analysis - Ultrasound Imaging and Pathomechanics of Median Nerve Compression

Official Title: “Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Case Reports and Analysis - Ultrasound Imaging and Pathomechanics of Median Nerve Compression”

Carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by compression of the median nerve at the wrist. The hypothesis is that ultrasound imaging can be used to visualize nerve compression in carpal tunnel patients during hand activity, and normal subjects will not demonstrate any nerve compression.

Two patients with carpal tunnel syndrome underwent nerve testing to document that they had median nerve abnormality at the wrist. They subsequently had ultrasound imaging of the wrist at rest and during a stress test using hand activity. Two control subjects had nerve testing to prove that they had no nerve abnormality at the carpal tunnel. The carpal tunnel syndrome patients demonstrated nerve compression on the ultrasound images during the stress tests and the normal subjects showed no nerve compression.

Arms, Groups and Cohorts in this Clinical Trial

• : Carpal Tunnel patients
  • These patients have documented carpal tunnel syndrome
• : Normal Subjects
  • These individuals have no carpal tunnel syndrome

Primary Measures

• Median nerve compressive narrowing on ultrasound imaging in carpal tunnel syndrome patients
  • Time Frame: 5 months
    Safety Issue?: No

Secondary Measures

• No median nerve compressive narrowing in normal subjects
  • Time Frame: 5 months
    Safety Issue?: No

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients must have symptoms consistent with carpal tunnel syndrome and electrodiagnostic testing that demonstrates abnormal median nerve function at the wrist, consistent with carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Normal subjects must have no upper limb symptoms to support carpal tunnel syndrome and normal nerve testing.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients excluded if nerve testing was not consistent with carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Normals excluded if nerve testing demonstrated any median nerve abnormality.

Gender Eligibility for this Clinical Trial: Both

Minimum Age for this Clinical Trial: 18 Years

Maximum Age for this Clinical Trial: 90 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted for this Clinical Trial?: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Lead Investigator: EMG Labs of Arizona Arthritis & Rheumatology Associates Other

Overall Clinical Trial Officials and Contacts

Benjamin M Sucher, DO Principal Investigator EMG Labs of AARA  

Information obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov on February 12, 2012

Link to the current ClinicalTrials.gov record. http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00987571

Study ID Number: CTS-US Med N JAOA

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00987571

Health Authority: United States: Institutional Review Board