Db. Siegel et al., ANATOMIC INVESTIGATION OF THE ROLE OF THE LUMBRICAL MUSCLES IN CARPAL-TUNNEL SYNDROME, The Journal of hand surgery, 20A(5), 1995, pp. 860-863
This study investigates whether the proximal origins of the lumbrical
muscles contribute significantly to the etiology of carpal tunnel synd
rome. We explored the carpal canals of 128 hands in patients undergoin
g carpal tunnel release for carpal tunnel syndrome. The origins of the
lumbrical muscles were examined at the time of surgery and their rela
tion to the transverse carpal ligament was recorded in all cases. Also
, 40 cadaveric hands were dissected to determine the lumbrical muscle
origins. In the hands of patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndro
me, the lumbrical muscle origins were located significantly more proxi
mal in the canal than were the muscles in the cadaveric hands. Younger
patients whose jobs required repetitive hand motions had large lumbri
cal muscles and origins that were more proximal than the lumbricals fo
und in the hands of fresh cadavers.