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Updated: May 22, 2025

Screening of Axonal Degeneration in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Using Ultrasonography and Nerve Conduction Studies
Published on: January 11, 2019
Anatomical variations and their association with carpal tunnel syndrome: a comparison with healthy controls
Michaela Gruber1,2, Agnes Wawrik1, Florin Gasser1
1Hospital of the Brothers of St. John of God, Salzburg, Austria.
Purpose:
The prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) as the foremost upper extremity entrapment neuropathy is well-documented. The present study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of anatomical variations in the carpal tunnel and their potential role as risk factors for CTS.
Methods:
Data from 447 CTS patients who underwent median nerve decompression between 2018 and 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. As a control group, 200 hands from 103 age- and sex-matched asymptomatic volunteers were further investigated.
Results:
Anatomical variations identified through ultrasound in 19.7% of CTS hands and 16.0% of controls. Specifically, 10.3% of CTS hands had persistent median arteries, while 14.3% had bifid median nerves. Both variations occurred in 4.9% of CTS patients. In the control group, 13.0% had persistent median arteries and 11.0% had bifid median nerves, with both found in 8.0%.
Conclusions:
Anatomical variations were found in both, CTS patients and controls, but their prevalence did not differ significantly between groups, suggesting they are not independent risk factors for CTS.
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