This aim of this study was to evaluate the progression of grip, tip pinch, key (lateral) pinch, and tripod pinch strengths in patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome with thenar atrophy following surgery. Between October 2008 and May 2010, 46 patients (49 hands) with carpal tunnel syndrome associated with thenar atrophy underwent surgery. Thenar atrophy was assessed by clinical inspection. Evaluations for grip strength and for tip, key, and tripod pinch strengths were made using a hydraulic hand dynamometer grip and a hydraulic pinch gauge, respectively. These measurements were taken before surgery and at 3 and 6 months after the procedure. When we compared the averages of all forces measured in the affected hand before the surgery with all forces measured at 3 months postoperative, we found no significant differences. However, after 6 months, we found significant differences for all four strength tests as compared with those measurements taken preoperatively and at the 3 month time point. Our results suggest that patients with thenar atrophy show increased grip strength and pinch strength by the sixth month after surgical treatment.

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Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common compressive neuropathy found in clinical practice. Recent studies evaluated which external factors could be involved in the CTS symptoms, including prolonged exposure to vibration, especially in the upper limb. This study investigated signs and symptoms in patients with CTS after using urban transport on (1) both upper limbs, (2) how long before these symptoms appear, and (3) the hands position or body reaction during the act of pressing the safety bars. Methods: The study was conducted from July 2012 to April 2013. A total of 205 (178 women and 27 men) patients were evaluated. CTS was diagnosed in 285 hands. All participants answered a questionnaire formulated by the authors. The questionnaire was applied by researchers who were single-blinded and not involved in the research. Results: Most of the participants (87%) were women, but there was no statistical significance in age between groups (women = 51.24 ± 8.47 years, men = 51.10 ± 6.52 years, P > .05). The symptoms appeared significantly in the first 15 minutes after boarding when compared with patients who had no symptoms during the journey. There was no difference between hands position along the journey and the onset of symptoms. Conclusions: The onset of symptoms in patients with CTS using urban public transportation most commonly occurred in the first 15 minutes after boarding. Public transport vibration seems to be, at least in part, directly related to the development of symptoms. Questionnaires for the assessment of paresthesia symptoms during the use of public transport may be useful for CTS diagnosis.

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