Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, including details on symptoms, causes, trauma, diagnosis, physiotherapy.

Use of quantitative abductor pollicis brevis strength testing in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Liu F, Watson HK, Carlson L, Lown I, Wollstein R

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nantong Medical College, Nantong, Jiangsu, China.

BACKGROUND: Diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome remains clinical, despite many objective clinical and electrophysiologic tests. There is also a need to objectively assess the severity of involvement and the need for surgery, and to document response to treatment. The authors evaluated a hand-held strength-testing device for assessment of abductor pollicis brevis strength in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. METHODS: Sixty-two hands in 50 patients (39 women and 11 men) aged 26 to 57 years were examined. All hands were evaluated before and 6 weeks after surgery. Nineteen hands were available for 7-year follow-up. RESULTS: Abductor pollicis brevis strength following carpal tunnel release increased significantly from a mean of 2.3 kg to 3.1 kg. The strength further increased in all long-term follow-up patients. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative strength testing can be used to document changes in abductor pollicis brevis strength in response to treatment in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Further study is needed to assess the reliability of this testing method using multiple examiners in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, and to evaluate the utility of using this device in tracking the long-term outcome of patients after carpal tunnel release.

Published 14 May 2007 in Plast Reconstr Surg, 119(4): 1277-83.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2005-2008 Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Research Today. All Rights Reserved.