Abstract
Objective
To assess the associations between carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) severity and selected
anthropometric and obesity indexes.
Design
We performed a case-control study. Clinical and electrophysiological severity of CTS
was classified as mild, moderate, or severe based on validated scales. Body and hand
anthropometric characteristics were measured at the time of the electrodiagnostic
study. We estimated the relative risk ratios (RRRs) of CTS severity by fitting multinomial
logistic regression models adjusted by age and sex. In addition, we fitted multivariable
models, including age, sex, wrist ratio, hand ratio, body mass index (BMI), and waist/stature
ratio.
Setting
Electromyography laboratories.
Participants
Consecutive patients (N=1087), those with CTS (n=340) and those without CTS (n=747),
were enrolled.
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures
Associations between CTS severity and selected anthropometric and obesity indexes.
Results
We observed associations between many anthropometric indexes and CTS severity. Among
obesity indexes, the waist/stature ratio, and among hand anthropometric indexes, the
wrist/palm ratio, showed the highest RRRs for the clinical and electrophysiological
severity scales. The RRRs of severe CTS (adjusted for age and sex) for the wrist/palm
ratio were 3.5 for the clinical scale and 2.4 for the electrophysiological scale.
The RRRs of severe CTS for the waist/stature ratio were 2.3 for the clinical scale
and 2.0 for the electrophysiological scale. In the multivariable models, both BMI
and the waist/stature ratio were associated with the outcomes.
Conclusions
Different configurations of the body and, in particular, the hand and wrist system
may influence the occurrence and severity of CTS. Multiple obesity indexes, possibly
including the waist/stature ratio, should be considered when investigating the association
between body composition and CTS. Future studies should determine whether in obese
subjects with CTS the weight and waist circumference loss produces an improvement
in CTS symptoms and recovery of distal conduction velocity of the median nerve.
Keywords
List of abbreviations:
ABSI (a body shape index), BMI (body mass index), CI (confidence interval), CTS (carpal tunnel syndrome), DML (distal motor latency), RRR (relative risk ratio), SCV (sensory conduction velocity), WC (waist circumference)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 26, 2016
Footnotes
Disclosures: none.
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine
