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ABSTRACT: Significant data exist for the personal, environmental, and occupational risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome. Few data, however, explain the interrelationship of tissue morphology to these factors among patients with clinical presentation of median nerve pathology. Therefore, our primary objective was to examine the relationship of various risk factors that may be predictive of subjective reports of symptoms or functional deficits accounting for median nerve morphology. Using diagnostic ultrasonography, we observed real-time median nerve morphology among 88 participants with varying reports of symptoms or functional limitations resulting from median nerve pathology. Body mass index, educational level, and nerve morphology were the primary predictive factors. Monitoring median nerve morphology with ultrasonography may provide valuable information for clinicians treating patients with symptoms of median nerve pathology. Sonographic measurements may be a useful clinical tool for improving treatment planning and provision, documenting patient status, or measuring clinical outcomes of prevention and rehabilitation interventions.
The American journal of occupational therapy : official publication of the American Occupational Therapy Association. 01/2013; 67(1):64-72.
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ABSTRACT: The use of sonography in musculoskeletal research and clinical applications is increasing; however, measurement techniques for diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome with sonography continue to be inconsistent. Novel methods of measurement using internal comparisons to identify swelling of the median nerve require investigation and comparison to currently used techniques.
The flattening ratio of the median nerve, bowing of the flexor retinaculum, and cross-sectional area of the median nerve were collected in the forearm, at the radiocarpal joint, and at the level of the pisiform in both symptomatic patients and asymptomatic control participants. Electrodiagnostic testing was completed in symptomatic patients as a diagnostic standard.
Median nerve measurements were collected from 166 wrists of symptomatic and asymptomatic participants. The flattening ratio did not show any correlation to electrodiagnostic testing and was identical between both symptomatic and asymptomatic participants. Moderate to strong correlations were noted between electrodiagnostic testing results and sonographic measurements of the cross-sectional area at the pisiform, retinacular bowing, and both the ratio and change of the cross-sectional area between the forearm and pisiform. The area under the curve was large for all receiver operating characteristic curves for each measurement (0.759-0.899), and sensitivity was high (80.4%-82.4%).
Measurement of swelling through a ratio or absolute change had similar diagnostic accuracy as individual measurement of the cross-sectional area within the carpal tunnel. These measures may be useful for improving accuracy in more diverse clinical populations. Further refinement of protocols to identify the largest cross-sectional area within the carpal tunnel region and statistical methods to analyze clustered, multilevel outcome data are recommended to improve diagnostics.
Journal of ultrasound in medicine: official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine 12/2011; 30(12):1657-67. · 1.25 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: A pilot study was conducted to gather holistic data points on female sonographers who executed neonatal neurosonography over four portable scanning sessions. The hypothesis was that specific risk factors contributed to work-related musculoskeletal distress in the hand and wrist as a result of neonatal neurosonography. A preexperimental pre-post research design was used to gather data on work demands, self-rated physical and mental health, posture/position during scanning, physiologic change, and pain scores. No statistically significant changes were detected between pre-post measures for work demands, physical and mental health, or pain scores as a result of portable scanning sessions. The physiologic changes, between scanning sessions, were recorded with the use of a hand-carried sonographic unit. Sonographic measures were less than the published criteria for carpal tunnel syndrome with a proximal cross-sectional area ≥10 mm 2 and an anterior bulge of the retinaculum of >4 mm. Sonography documented a statistically significant cross-sectional area change, within the median nerve, at the distal radius only after the first scanning session. Power and spectral Doppler was used to document perineural vascular flow within the median nerve, but it was not consistently obtained to allow for a rigorous comparison between pre- and postscanning sessions. This is the first pilot study to explore using a hand-carried sonographic unit to document change in the median nerve for an isolated sonographic examination. The results are only reflective of these particular participants, but much larger N and shorter scanning sessions are needed to confirm the hypothesis proposed.
Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography 01/2010; 26:67-78.
