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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Analysis

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First described by Paget in 18541, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a collection of symptoms and signs that occur as a result of compressive neuropathy of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel. The common symptoms include numbness, paresthesia and pain in the distribution of the median nerve, as well as possible changes in sensation and strength of the hand structures innervated by the median nerve2. CTS is the most common form of median nerve entrapment and accounts for 90% of all entrapment neuropathies3. Despite the possibility of spontaneous regression, the symptoms of CTS will usually worsen without intervention2. When it comes to management a conservative approach is taken first, using physical therapy and wrist splints. If this approach fails, corticosteroid injections into the carpal tunnel are used. These have been shown to be of long term benefit in relieving the symptoms of CTS4. The two techniques used when injecting into the carpal tunnel are the anatomical landmark approach, and ultrasound guided approach. The purpose of this article is to describe, with reference to the anatomy of the median nerve, the symptoms that occur due to its nerve distribution as well as …show more content…
The ulnar border of the carpal tunnel is made up of the hook of hamate, pyramidal and pisiform bones, whilst the radial border is made up of the flexor carpi radialis muscle along with the scaphoid and trapezoid bones2. The contents of the carpal tunnel include the eight digital flexor tendons (and their synovial sheath), flexor pollicis longus (FPL) tendon and the median nerve. All of these structures fit rather tightly into the carpal tunnel and so any increase in their volume can cause compression of the median nerve, resulting in pain and paresthesia in the structures supplied distal to the nerve

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