Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire and Severity of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Objectives:

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common compressive neuropathy linked to disability in severe cases. Tools capable of distinguishing the severity spectrum median nerve entrapment in clinical practice are desirable.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study included 58 CTS patients assisted in a Brazilian neurologic clinic. Participants were naive of surgical interventions and answered to Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ). CTS was classified as mild, moderate, and severe according to electrodiagnostic testing.

Results:

There was no significant difference in BCTQ scores across the severity spectrum of median nerve entrapment, not even comparing mild cases with the group moderate/severe. Mild cases were younger (mean ± SD: 46.5 ± 9.2 years) than severe ones (60.0 ± 13.5, P = 0.04) and the group moderate/severe (55.5 ± 14.5, P = 0.01).

Conclusions:

Results suggest that BCTQ is not adequate to assess the interpatient severity of median nerve entrapment on clinical practice.

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