Carpal tunnel area as a risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome.

Carpal tunnel area was investigated as a risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). It was hypothesized that if canal area is a risk factor for the syndrome, individuals who develop the syndrome should have smaller carpal canal areas than those who remain free of the syndrome. Sixty-one subjects, approximately equally divided by sex, age group, and diagnosis, were examined. A measurement of cross-sectional areas of the carpal canal by computerized axial tomography indicated that individuals diagnosed as carpal tunnel patients had significantly larger carpal canal areas than controls. The results indicate that a small carpal canal area does not appear to be a risk factor for carpal tunnel syndrome.