[Clinico-anatomic studies of the carpal tunnel of the human hand]

Abstract

Numerous investigations of the carpal tunnel were performed in 60 human hands of adults. In detail we determined the length, width, and thickness of the flexor retinaculum. Furthermore the dimensions of the carpal tunnel and the proximal, middle and distal cross-section areas were calculated. We found that the middle region is the narrowest portion of the carpal tunnel. The median nerve increases constantly in width from proximal to distal in the carpal tunnel whereas its thickness decreases. In 43.3% the nerve passes radially from the middle of the tunnel to the palm. In 21.7% the median nerve is located exactly under the middle of the flexor retinaculum and only in 1.7% is it shifted to the more ulnar side. The median nerve shows a winding course in the remaining cases.