CARPAL-TUNNEL SYNDROME - VALIDATION OF AN INTERVIEW QUESTIONNAIRE ON OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE

The objectives of this study were 1) to summarize in a clinically mean ingful way information on occupational risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), and 2) to test a questionnaire on risk factors that co uld be used by physicians with their patients. For the two objectives, a systematic literature review, was performed and synthetized graphic ally and a questionnaire was developed and administered to 238 patient s who underwent release surgery for CTS. Patients were classified in f our groups according to the incidence rate of CTS surgery in their occ upation. Answers to the questionnaire on exposure to risk factors for CTS were compared between these four groups With the hypothesis that t he group with the highest incidence would report the heaviest exposure . The results showed that questioning workers on the amount of force r equired to perform tasks that are ''especially demanding'' for the wri sts or hands is both useful clinically and valid to be used by the cli nician to make a judgement on the occupational nature of CTS. Repetiti veness and segmental exposure to vibrations or to cold are potentially useful and will need further validation. There is no evidence at pres ent that posture or motion of the wrists is potentially useful to desc ribe occupational exposure when questioning patients with CTS. (C) 199 8 Wiley-Liss, Inc.