Abstract
BackgroundThe diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is established mainly on a clinical basis, and diagnosis is done after careful history taking and examination including known provocative tests with varying efficacy and reliability.MethodsA prospective clinical study of 123 patients with 171 hands presenting with classical symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome were included in this study, from October 2013 to October 2015, and they underwent open surgical release of flexor retinaculum at the Neurosurgery Department of Benha University Hospital.ResultsART is positive in 88.3%. This is compared to 75, 81.3, 79.7, and 83.6% of positive results in Tinel’s test, compression test, Phalen’s test, and combined Phalen’s and compression test. ART is the most sensitive and specific test and has the highest positive predictive value of 98.3%, negative predictive value of 81.9%, and accuracy of 91.4%.ConclusionART is a simple, reliable, and easily performed test for evaluating carpal tunnel syndrome; it is superior to other tests and could be used also to assess improvement after surgery.
Highlights
The diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is established mainly on a clinical basis, and diagnosis is done after careful history taking and examination including known provocative tests with varying efficacy and reliability
Arm raising test was first described in 2001 [4] and was studied by other authors [5, 6]. It is not depending on the examiner as it is not done with their hand but only with an order to the patients and receiving their comment once symptoms are recognized. Study design This is a prospective clinical study of 123 patients with 171 hands presenting with classical symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome who were included in this study, from October 2013 to October 2015, and they underwent open surgical release of flexor retinaculum at the Neurosurgery Department of Benha University Hospital
In our study, Arm raising test (ART) is positive in 88.3% (113 out of 128 hands with evident carpal tunnel syndrome)
Summary
The diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is established mainly on a clinical basis, and diagnosis is done after careful history taking and examination including known provocative tests with varying efficacy and reliability. Arm raising test was first described in 2001 [4] and was studied by other authors [5, 6]. It is not depending on the examiner as it is not done with their hand but only with an order to the patients and receiving their comment once symptoms are recognized
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