RESEARCH - Risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome

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Risk factors in carpal tunnel syndrome

J.M Geoghegan, a, , D.I a, L.C Bainbridgea, C a and R Hubbarda

aFrom the Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Derbyshire Royal

Infirmary, Derby, UK and the Clinical Epidemiology and Respiratory

Medicine, Nottingham City Hospital, Nottingham, UK

accepted 2 February 2004

Abstract

We have undertaken a large case–control study using the UK General

Practice Research Database to quantify the relative contributions of

the common risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) in the

community. Cases were patients with a diagnosis of CTS and, for each,

four controls were individually matched by age, sex and general

practice. Our dataset included 3,391 cases, of which 2,444 (72%) were

women, with a mean age at diagnosis of 46 (range 16–96) years.

Multivariate analysis showed that the risk factors associated with CTS

were previous wrist fracture (OR=2.29), rheumatoid arthritis

(OR=2.23), osteoarthritis of the wrist and carpus (OR=1.89), obesity

(OR=2.06), diabetes (OR=1.51), and the use of insulin (OR=1.52),

sulphonylureas (OR=1.45), metformin (OR=1.20) and thyroxine (OR=1.36).

Smoking, hormone replacement therapy, the combined oral contraceptive

pill and oral corticosteroids were not associated with CTS. The

results were similar when cases were restricted to those who had

undergone carpal tunnel decompression.

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