Correlation between Electrodiagnostic Study and Imaging Features in Patients with Suspected Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Abstract

Electrodiagnostic studies (EDXs) are the confirmative diagnostic tool for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Previous studies have evaluated the relationship between EDXs and ultrasonography (US) but not with X-rays. Recently, many studies on the diagnostic value of X-rays in various diseases have been reported, but data on CTS are lacking. We evaluated the relationship between electrodiagnostic parameters and roentgenographic and ultrasonographic features in CTS and investigated the usefulness of X-rays and US for CTS. This retrospective study included 97 wrists of 62 patients. All patients with suspected CTS underwent EDXs, wrist US, and wrist X-rays. The CTS patients were classified into mild, moderate, and severe groups. The roentgenographic features included the ulnar variance (UV) and the anteroposterior diameter of the wrist (APDW), and the ultrasonographic features included the flattening ratio (FR) and the thickest anteroposterior diameter of the median nerve (TAPDM). Most EDX parameters showed significant correlations with roentgenographic and US features. The electrodiagnostic severity was also correlated with all imaging features. Therefore, both wrist X-rays and wrist US can be useful for the diagnosis of CTS as supplements to EDXs.