Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common clinical problem and frequently requires surgical therapy. The results of electrodiagnostic (EDX) studies have been found to be highly sensitive and specific for the diagnosis of CTS. This document defines the standards, guidelines, and options for EDX studies of CTS based on a critical review of the literature published in 1993 1 and recently updated by a review of the literature through the year 2000. The reader is referred to the updated review 2 for a detailed discussion of the literature and the EDX techniques for the assessment of CTS which are summarized here. Both reviews addressed the following key clinical questions:
- In patients clinically suspected of having CTS, what are the best EDX studies to confirm the diagnosis? 2. How can future clinical research studies be improved to evaluate the usefulness of laboratory studies, including EDX studies, to confirm the diagnosis of CTS?
DESCRIPTION OF THE REVIEW PROCESS
The source of the articles for the first CTS Literature Review 1 published in 1993 was a Medline search for literature in English from January 1, 1986, through May 1991.
The Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) searched were (1) wrist injuries or wrist joint, (2) nerve compression syndrome, and (3) carpal tunnel syndrome. The search identified 488 articles. Based on a review of the abstracts, 81 articles describing EDX studies were chosen for review. An additional 78 reports were identified from the bibliographies of the 81 articles, and AAEM consultants recommended 6 others for a total of 165 articles. Of the 165 articles