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. 2021 Nov;16(6):753-758.
doi: 10.1177/1558944719893048. Epub 2020 Jan 22.

The Coexistence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Workers With Trigger Digit

Michael S Fitch  1 , Matthew S Thiese  1 , Eric M Wood  1 , Jay M Kapellusch  2 , Kurt T Hegmann  1
Affiliations

The Coexistence of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Workers With Trigger Digit

Michael S Fitch et al. Hand (N Y). 2021 Nov.

Abstract

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in workers with trigger digit. There are few cross-sectional studies that assess this relationship. Methods: A baseline examination of 1216 workers from 17 diverse manufacturing facilities was conducted. Worker demographics, medical history, and symptoms of trigger digit were assessed. Age, sex, and body mass index were obtained. Biomechanical factors were individually measured using the Strain Index (SI). Prevalence was assessed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Unadjusted prevalence of trigger digit was 12.0%, and among those workers, there was an unadjusted CTS prevalence of 26.7%. The adjusted multivariate model found an odds ratio (OR) of CTS of 1.56 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03-2.36) among the workers with trigger digit. The ORs of CTS for SI (OR = 1.53 [95% CI, 1.04-2.23]), age (OR = 1.03 [95% CI, 1.01-1.04]), and current smoking (OR = 1.76 [95% CI, 1.12-2.75]) were also significant. Sex and diabetes were not statistically significant covariates. Conclusion: The prevalence of CTS is higher among workers with trigger digit.

Keywords: anatomy; basic science; biomechanics; carpal tunnel syndrome; diagnosis; digits; epidemiology; finger; fracture/dislocation; hand; nerve; research and health outcomes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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