American Research Journal of Medicine and Surgery

Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common peripheral entrapment neuropathy in humans. Its incidence is 1% for the general population and 5% or more for workers with repetitive use of the hands and wrists(10). Women are three times more likely than men to develop CTS, which usually occurs only in adults. Most cases are idiopathic(23). The open surgical technique stills the gold standard procedure for the treatment of CTS (20). Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the results of the pre- and postoperative electromyographic studies and their relationship to its clinical symptomatology before and after carpal tunnel decompression. Methods: A retrospective study of 24 patients with CTS underwent open surgical decompression of median nerve at wrist and followed by electromyographic studies with assessment of post-operative clinical pictures. Conclusion: Electromyography studies for carpal tunnel syndrome before and after surgery is not conclusive for diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome or recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome alone, the most important point of diagnosis is the clinical diagnosis of carpal tunnel with support of electromyography studies.