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Objective. Sleep disturbances are common in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). This study investigates the impact of CTS on sleep quality and clarifies the magnitude of this relationship. Methods. This is a prospective investigation of patients with CTS. Patients responded to the Levine-Katz Carpal Tunnel and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires to assess symptom severity and quality, respectively. Descriptive and bivariate analyses summarized the findings and assessed the correlations between CTS severity and sleep quality parameters. Results. 66 patients (53F, 13M) were enrolled. Patients reported a sleep latency of 30.0 (±22.5) minutes, with a total sleep time of 5.5 (±1.8) hours nightly. Global PSQI score was 9.0 (±3.8); 80% of patients demonstrated a significant reduction in sleep quality (global PSQI score >5). Increased CTS symptom and functional severity both resulted in a significant reduction in quality and time asleep. Both significantly correlated with subjective sleep latency, sleep disturbance, use of sleep promoting medications, daytime dysfunction, and overall global PSQI score. Conclusions. The findings confirm the correlation of sleep disturbances to CTS, that is, significant reduction of sleep duration and a correlation to sleep quality. Patients sleep 2.5 hours less than recommended and are at risk for comorbid conditions.

Background. Fracture resulting from household electric shock is uncommon. When it occurs, it is usually the result of a fall; however, electricity itself can cause sufficient tetany to produce a fracture. We present the case of bilateral fractures of the distal radii of a 12-year-old boy which were sustained after accidental shock. The literature regarding fractures after domestic electric shock is also reviewed. Methods. An Ovid-Medline search was conducted. The resultant articles and their bibliographies were surveyed for cases describing fractures resulting from a typical household-level voltage (110–220 V, 50–60 Hertz) and not a fall after the shock. Twenty-one articles describing 22 patients were identified. Results. Twenty-two cases were identified. Thirteen were unilateral injuries; 9 were bilateral. Proximal humerus fractures were most frequent (8 cases), followed by scapula fractures (7 cases), forearm fractures (4 cases), femoral neck fractures (2 cases), and vertebral body fracture (1 case). Eight of the 22 cases were diagnosed days to weeks after the injury. Conclusions. Fracture after electric shock is uncommon. It should be suspected in patients with persistent pain, particularly in the shoulder or forearm area. Distal radius fractures that occur during electrocution are likely due to tetany.

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Pycnodysostosis is a rare autosomal recessive disease due to a mutation in the gene for the enzyme Cathepsin K. It is characterized by short stature, craniofacial dysmorphias, osteosclerosis, and brittle bones. There are only a few reports in the literature describing surgical interventions for long bone fractures in pycnodysostosis patients, most of which describe intramedullary nail treatment of isolated long bone fractures. We describe a case in which a pregnant female with pycnodysostosis presented with a shaft fracture of the left femur following minor trauma and a history of increasing thigh pain. Radiographs obtained in the emergency room also revealed an impending subtrochanteric fracture of the contralateral side. The acute left femoral shaft fracture was treated with an adolescent-sized intramedullary nail; it was decided to defer surgery on the contralateral side until after pregnancy. Three months later, the patient had the contralateral femur prophylactically fixated with a plate and screws. One year after the index surgery, both methods demonstrated satisfactory healing both clinically and radiographically. Although we recommend use of an intramedullary nail for long bone fractures in patients with pycnodysostosis, a plate can be utilized if health conditions or skeletal morphology precludes use of a nail.