Independent risk factors of carpal tunnel syndrome: Assessment of body mass index, hand, wrist and finger anthropometric measurements.

Background: The most prevalent neuropathy in the upper extremity is carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). A variety of related risk factors such as biomechanical exposures, body mass index (BMI), sex and hand shape are reported to be related to CTS.

Objective: We aimed to identify the role of BMI, hand, wrist and finger anthropometric dimensions in the development of CTS, and to compare these measured variables between control and CTS participants.

Methods: A cross-sectional, case control study (n = 240, CTS = 120, controls = 120) with participants recruited from a convenience sample diagnosed with CTS and referred for anthropometric measurements. The control participants were matched by age and sex. The body height, weight, hand width, hand length, wrist depth, wrist width, wrist circumference, and finger length were measured. Hand, wrist and finger indices, hand to height ratio, and BMI were calculated. Mean values of all dimensions were compared between cases and controls, and the role of independent risk factors were determined by logistic regression analysis.

Results: The mean BMI, age, weight, sex and height were not significant between the two groups. Among the measured dimensions and calculated indices the significantly different variables between two groups were the wrist width, wrist depth, wrist circumference, hand index, hand to height index, and wrist index. Regression analysis showed that the wrist index (β=-1.7, p = 0.0001), wrist depth (β=0.25, p = 0.0001) and wrist width (β=0.21, p = 0.0001) were the strongest factors in CTS development in the sample.

Conclusion: Wrist parameters have a strong role in predicting the development of CTS, while BMI was not confirmed as an independent risk factor.