Overview
What is Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) occurs when there is compression of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel of the wrist.
Fig 1. The carpal tunnel and its contents
In the wrist, structures such as tendons and synovium (connective tissues in the joint) may swell due to age and overuse. They may squeeze the median nerve, causing it to suffer damage. If compression is not relieved, the nerve damage may become irreversible.
Causes
What are the Risk Factors of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?
Detection & Treatment
How is CTS Diagnosed?
Hand Specialists will perform a clinical examination to diagnose the condition.
Next, a nerve conduction study will be carried out to determine the severity of the condition. This involves attaching electrode pads to your skin to test how fast an electrical impulse travels along the nerve.
Fig 2. Nerve conduction study
Treatment type depends on the severity of the CTS.
There are three degrees of severity: Mild, Moderate and Severe.
1. Mild CTS
Non-surgical management is the most common treatment. This involves hand therapy, modification of activities of daily living, night splinting and medication.
Majority of patients experienced an improvement in symptoms whilst some no longer experienced them.
2. Moderate & Severe CTS
Carpal tunnel release (CTR) surgery should be considered if non-surgical treatment methods fail to improve symptoms.
The aim of surgery is to prevent the median nerve from further damage cause by the continuous compression.
Are There Surgical Complications?
All surgeries have risks. There is a 5% risk of surgical complications in all carpal tunnel release surgeries. These include:
Specialties & Services
