Expression TGFβ Receptors and Collagen III/VI in the Subsynovial Connective Tissue in a Rabbit Model of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

INTRODUCTION The subsynovial connective tissue (SSCT) in the carpal tunnel has been implicated in the development of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). There is a significant increase in TGFβ-R1 expression in the fibroblasts of CTS patients compared with unaffected individuals, and collagen III is significantly more abundant in the patients than in the controls. In addition, collagen VI is abundant in the SSCT of both CTS patients and unaffected individuals. Recently a rabbit model has been described in which injury of the SSCT leads to median neuropathy, similar to what is seen in human CTS. We wished to see if the SSCT response in this model was similar to that seen in clinical cases of CTS. Our hypothesis was that the expression of TGFβ-R1 and collagen III would be similar when comparing the rabbit animal model with human CTS, and that the expression in normal rabbits and humans would also be similar to each other.