Ridge detection tactility deficits associated with carpal tunnel syndrome

A ridge detection threshold task was administered to patients diagnosed as having carpal tunnel syndrome for studying performance in an occupationally relevant functional tactile inspection task. Thresholds were compared with a reference group of subjects not having carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms, performing the same task. The threshold detection task used the method of limits for studying the effects of carpal tunnel syndrome, rate of ridge height changes, ridge gradient, and direction of shearing against the skin on ridge detection thresholds for a repeated measures factorial experimental design. Sixteen carpal tunnel syndrome hands and 30 normal hands were studied. Average ridge detection threshold was 0.08 mm for the normal subjects and increased to 0.20 mm for the carpal tunnel syndrome subjects. No significant age effect was observed. These results suggest that workers having carpal tunnel syndrome may not detect an edge or surface defect in a tactile inspection task unless it was more than twice as high as detected by workers without CTS.