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Pain, numbness, and tingling through the median nerve distribution, known as carpal
tunnel syndrome (CTS), has been associated with many personal risk factors. Previous
studies have implicated obesity as a risk factor for median neuropathy at the carpal
tunnel. A case-control design was undertaken to explore the association between obesity
and CTS. Six hundred patients presented with symptoms of upper-extremity disorders
for independent medical examination related to a disability or compensation claim.
The 300 patients with electrodiagnostic evidence of CTS were compared with 300 control
subjects from the same initial population. All patients were categorized according
to their body mass index. The analysis was stratified for the possible confounding
factors of cervical spine abnormalities, Martin-Gruber interconnections, age, and
sex. A statistically significant association was found between obesity and median
neuropathy. The implications of such a relationship are discussed in light of the
contemporary debate over the etiology of cumulative trauma disorders.
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
August 30,
1996
Received:
September 11,
1995
Footnotes
*No benefits in any form have been received or will be received from a commerical party related directly or indirectly to the subject of this article.
Identification
Copyright
© 1997 The American Society for Surgery of the Hand. All rights reserved. Published by Elsevier Inc.
