Overall health status in patients with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome: A case-control study

Abstract Study Design A case-control study. Introduction There are no reports in the literature that evaluate the overall health status (OHS) of patients with mild to moderate forms of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) using 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Purpose of the Study To assess OHS in patients with mild to moderate CTS, in comparison with healthy subjects. Methods The study involved 273 healthy people and 140 people diagnosed with CTS. The CTS diagnosis was made on the basis of clinical examinations and nerve conduction studies. OHS was assessed using the SF-36. Results In the assessment of physical components of OHS, in the CTS group (compared with healthy subjects), the results show significantly lower values in physical functioning, role limitations because of physical health problems, bodily pain, and general health perceptions by 7.44, 23.2, 18.9, and 4.1, respectively. Mental components were lower (in CTS group) only in relation to vitality and social functioning by 4.1 and 5.5, respectively. In the assessment of physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS), the results show significantly lower values of PCS (by 13 in CTS group) and no significant differences in the assessment of MCS between patients with CTS and healthy subjects. Discussion The perception of the OHS in CTS patients is diminished. Hence, when evaluating the effects of the therapy, not only disease-specific scales should be used, but also the OHS. This will allow an assessment of the impact of CTS on OHS and the impact of applied therapy, not only in terms of a reduction in the main symptoms of the condition. Conclusions Mild and moderate forms of CTS significantly affected the PCS of the OHS and all its subcomponents (physical functioning, role limitations because of physical health problems, bodily pain, and general health perceptions) but did not affect the MCS of OHS evaluated as a whole. There were significant differences in the mental component in the evaluation of vitality and social functioning. Level of Evidence 3.