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. 2015 Dec;40(12):2427-34.
doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2015.07.029. Epub 2015 Oct 10.

Incidence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Requiring Surgical Decompression: A 10.5-Year Review of 2,309 Patients

John H J English  1 , David P Gwynne-Jones  2
Affiliations

Incidence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Requiring Surgical Decompression: A 10.5-Year Review of 2,309 Patients

John H J English et al. J Hand Surg Am. 2015 Dec.

Abstract

Purpose: To describe the demographics, neurophysiological grading, and incidence of patients undergoing carpal tunnel decompression (CTD) for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in a single region.

Methods: A retrospective review of 2,313 patients aged greater than 16 years who underwent 3,073 CTDs between January 2000 and August 2010. Crude annual and age- and sex-specific incidences were calculated for the study period. Nerve conduction study grades were recorded and compared with age and sex.

Results: Of the 2,313 patients 1,419 (61%) were female and 890 (39%) were male. Mean age at surgery was 56 years (range, 16-93 years). Females had a significantly higher CTD incidence compared with males (161 vs 108/100,000 person-years, respectively). The highest rates of CTD were seen in the 70- to 79-year age group for both men and women (307/100,000 person-years). Neurophysiological grade increased in severity with increasing age despite using an age-adjusted grading system, with higher grades in patients aged greater than 65 years.

Conclusions: This study suggests that carpal tunnel syndrome has the highest incidence in older people who tend to have more severe neurophysiological changes.

Type of study/level of evidence: Prognostic II.

Keywords: Carpal tunnel syndrome; epidemiology; incidence.

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