Carpal Arch Compression Decreases Median Nerve Flattening in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Patients

The carpal tunnel in the wrist is formed by the interconnected carpal bones and the transverse carpal ligament (TCL). The tunnel contents include the median nerve, which is susceptible to entrapment in the space-limited tunnel leading to carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). CTS patients have increased flattening of the median nerve which is alleviated after surgically transecting the TCL to increase carpal tunnel space and decrease tunnel pressure [1]. Recent studies support that the carpal tunnel space can be augmented by narrowing the carpal arch width [2-4]. Furthermore, it has been shown that applying radioulnar compression to the wrist decreases median nerve flattening in asymptomatic controls [4]. However, the implications of wrist compression on the carpal tunnel and median nerve in CTS patients have not been examined. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the morphological changes of the carpal arch and median nerve in response to wrist compression in CTS patients.