Abstract

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy in the upper limbs. Personal factors such as age, gender, squarer wrist and body mass index (BMI) are reported to be important risk factors. In this study, we aimed to identify the role of age as a risk factor for CTS. We prospectively studied in 213 hand of 114 consecutive patients (102 female, 12 male) referred to the electrophysiology laborotory with hand or arm complaints including numbness, tingling, or pain longer than 3 months. In result of the electrophysiologic studies, patients were diagnosed as 70 patients (61.4%) CTS and 44 subjects (38.6%) non-CTS. Also, the patients were divided to subgroups according to age as either ≥ 40 or < 40 years old. The mean age and body mass index of patients with CTS were found to be higher than the non-CTS patients (p < 0.01, for both). CTS was found more frequent (65.6% versus 34.4%, p= 0.034) over the 40 years old than below the 40 years old. Severe CTS was also fold two times at over the 40 years old (32.9% versus 18.6%, p=0.191). Meanwhile, median motor conduction velocity across the elbow was significantly lower in both groups over the 40 years old.

This study suggests that age is an important risk factor for CTS, and severe CTS were associated with greater age. The older patient should be referred for nerve conduction studies earlier and treated promptly, because marked motor disturbance may occur within a short time in these patients.