Does Diabetes Mellitus Influence Carpal Tunnel Syndrome?

Abstract

Background and PurposeDiabetes mellitus (DM) has been proposed as a risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), but this remains controversial. We investigated the association between DM and CTS using both ultrasonography (US) and nerve conduction study (NCS) data.MethodsWe analyzed a prospectively recruited database of neuromuscular US and medical records of subjects who had undergone NCSs and electromyography for symptoms suggestive of CTS. Subjects were assigned to the follow groups: Group I, CTS with DM; Group II, CTS without DM; Group III, no CTS with DM; and Group IV, no CTS without DM. US cross-sectional area (CSA) and NCS measurements at the median nerve (MN) were compared among groups. We used a general linear mixed model to adjust for statistically significant covariates.ResultsThe 230 participants comprised 22, 83, 19, and 106 in Groups I–IV, respectively. In multivariate analyses, the MN action potential amplitude in females was the only variable that was significantly associated with DM (p<0.001). Groups with DM tended to have a longer latency, smaller amplitude, and lower conduction velocity in the NCSs compared to groups without DM. The measured US CSA values did not differ significantly among the groups.ConclusionsNCS measurements of the MN tended to differ between DM and non-DM patients regardless of the presence or absence of CTS. However, US did not reveal any statistically significant relationship between CTS and DM.

Effects of diabetes mellitus on the rate of carpal tunnel release in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome

“…In one retrospective cohort study in USA, among 1,795 patients with CTS, 254 patients (15%) were diagnosed with DM 21 . The CTS patients combined with DM have been reported as up be to 21% of all CTS patients in a prospective ultrasonographic and electrophysiologic study 2 , which is consistent with our finding. One possible reason for the relative high prevalence of DM in CTS patients in our study was that we included a DM diagnosis not only baseline but also during follow-up period.…”

“…Various factors, such as repetitive wrist movement, hypothyroidism, obesity, diabetes mellitus (DM), and rheumatoid arthritis, have been suggested to be risk factors for Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) 1 , 2 . Recently, a meta-analysis of 25 studies suggested that both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are risk factors for CTS 3 .…”

Association between low serum prealbumin levels and carpal tunnel syndrome in maintenance hemodialysis patients

“…In our study, the ratio of diabetes in CTS patients was increased compared with the non-CTS group, p = .095 ( Table 2 ). Our research results are not consistent with previous studies [ 30 , 31 ]. Diabetes mellitus (DM) has been proposed as a risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome, although the exact cause and pathogenesis of CTS remain unclear.…”

Electrophysiologic severity of carpal tunnel syndrome in diabetic patients of the Saudi population

“…Similar findings were observed in another study. 40 Non-recordable nerves and bilateral CTS were more prevalent in diabetic patients. One multi ethnic study on Asian population showed that diabetic patients are at a higher risk of severe CTS, and similar findings were yielded by a French study.…”