AGREEMENT BETWEEN ULTRASONOGRAPHY AND NERVE CONDUCTION STUDIES IN ASSESMENT OF SEVERITY OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME

Abstract

Objective: To determine the agreement between ultrasonography and nerve conduction studies in the assessment of severity of carpal tunnel syndrome. Study Design: Cross sectional descriptive study. Place and Duration of Study: Conducted at Radiology Department Combined Military Hospital Lahore, from Aug 2014 to Feb 2015. Material and Methods: Cases were selected from the Rehabilitation Medicine OPD of Combined Military Hospital Lahore. Total 130 cases of NCS positive carpal tunnel syndrome were included in the study selected on non probability convenience sampling technique. Ultrasound of wrist was conducted and results compared with nerve conduction study findings. Measurements were taken for the median nerve at the carpal tunnel inlet proximally. Patients were distributed in mild, moderate and severe grades according to ultrasound and nerve conduction studies. Agreement was determined using statistical analysis. Data entry and analysis was done by using SPSS version 20. Results: The average percentage of agreement between Ultrasound wrist and nerve conduction studies for assessment of severity of carpel tunnel syndrome is 63.4%. Conclusion: Ultrasound is an additional noninvasive modality for assessment of severity of carpal tunnel syndrome having results comparable to nerve conduction studies.

Keywords

• ultrasound wrist
• nerve conduction study
• median nerve
• carpal tunnel syndrome