A handheld nerve conduction measuring device in carpal tunnel syndrome.

OBJECTIVES The diagnostic utility and reliability of an easy-to-operate novel handheld nerve conduction tester in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) were evaluated. MATERIALS AND METHODS Using the test device, the sensory nerve conductions (SNC) in the median and ulnar nerves were compared with each other in 194 patients with suspected CTS and 95 healthy controls. The test device results were compared with the results of nerve conduction studies (NCS) with traditional instrumentation. RESULTS The new device correctly classified 145 of the 149 hands (97.3%) without median nerve lesion and 171 of the 200 hands (85.5%) with median nerve lesions in traditional NCS. The specificity of the new tester compared with traditional instrumentation was 98%. The correlation coefficient for different technicians in different studies was 0.87. CONCLUSIONS The findings obtained with the new tester in CTS were reliable and reproducible. This tester may increase availability of NCS in CTS.