EVALUATION OF THE BODY MASS INDEXES ON THE SEVERITY OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME
M Tuğrul ÇOLAKOĞLU, Hamza ÖZER, Temel OĞUZ, Şükrü SOLAK, Savaş AĞAOĞLU
Muhittin Ülker Acil Yardım ve Travmatoloji Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi II Ortopedi ve Travmatoloji Kliniği
Keywords: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Entrapment, Neuropathy, Obesity.
Abstract
Introduction: The purpose of the study is to evaluate predisposing risk factors majorly obesity in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) and effects of obesity on the severity of CTS.
Patients and methods: Eighty median nerve entrapment around wrist in fifty-five patients diagnosed with history, physical examination and, EMG analysis were included in the study. Patients were gouped according to WHO criterias after Body Mass Indexes (BMI) were calculated. Sensorial conduction velocity is used for detecting severity of the disease.
Results: Eight (12,9%) had hypothyroid disease, 6 (10,9%) had distal radius fracture. Minimum 10 year history of 5 to 40 cigarette/day smoking were recorded in 20 patients. Five patients were typist in their decent working period and 1 was still working as a PC operator. The patients were grouped as 3,6% low weight, 14,5% normal weight, 25,5% overweight, 43,7% obese and, 9,1% morbid obese. Mean BMI was 30,7 kg/m2 (18-42). Fourty five (81,9%) paitents were in the group of over-weight, obese and, morbid obese.
Discussion: We believe there is predisposition in nerve entrapment with possible increased fatty deposition arround median nerve in patients with high BMI. However, CTS is multifactorial, obesity should be regarded as a major risk for CTS.