OUTCOME ASSESSMENT FOR CARPAL-TUNNEL SURGERY - THE RELATIVE RESPONSIVENESS OF GENERIC, ARTHRITIS-SPECIFIC, DISEASE-SPECIFIC, AND PHYSICAL-EXAMINATION MEASURES

Clinical evaluation of outcome after treatment of carpal tunnel syndro me has not been standardized. To assess the value of various clinical and questionnaire measures for the assessment of outcome after carpal tunnel surgery, we surveyed 22 patients 1 day before and 3 months afte r carpal tunnel release with the following measures: the Medical Outco mes Study 36-item short form health survey, the Arthritis impact Measu rement Scale, the Brigham and Women's Hospital carpal tunnel questionn aire, wrist range of motion, power pinch, grip strength, pressure sens ibility, and dexterity. Significant changes, all in the direction of i mproved health status postoperatively, were noted in the following sca les or measures: the Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale pain, satisfac tion, health perception, arthritis impact, and symptom scales; the Bri gham and Women's Hospital symptom and function scales; the short form health survey's physical role, emotional role, and bodily pain scales; and the measurement of dexterity. In this study, standardized questio nnaires were more sensitive to the clinical change produced by carpal tunnel surgery than many commonly performed physical measures of outco me. The condition-specific questionnaire was more sensitive to change than were more generic questionnaires.