Hand · IF 1.6 · August 13, 2026 · LoE III
Clinical Characteristics of Concomitant Versus Isolated Carpal and Cubital Tunnel Syndromes: A Prospective Cohort Study
Kuan‐I Lee, Omer Sadeh, Alberto Barrientos, Anne Genzelev, Nader Paksima, Jacques H. Hacquebord, Jonathan M. Bekisz — NYU Langone Health
This prospective cohort study compared 86 surgical patients with isolated carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), isolated cubital tunnel syndrome (CuTS), or both conditions together to see if concomitant disease is a distinct, more severe entity. Sensory symptoms and provocative tests were similar across groups, but patients with concomitant disease had significantly weaker intrinsic hand muscles (abductor pollicis brevis strength P=.0308 vs isolated CTS; abductor digiti minimi strength P=.0319 vs isolated CuTS), and concomitant disease independently predicted lower APB strength on multivariable analysis (adjusted OR 3.55, 95% CI 1.02-12.38, P=.0471), though the analogous ADM finding did not reach significance (adjusted OR 2.45, P=.1550).
AI summary · from the full text · reviewed by Pukhraj Gaheer, Medical Student, Queen's University before publishing
Why it mattersHand surgeons should have a lower threshold to examine for dual median/ulnar nerve compression when a patient presents with objective intrinsic motor weakness rather than isolated sensory complaints.
Conclusion strengthConfirms prior evidence
This identifies a risk factor rather than testing a treatment, so it cannot support a change in what we do.
Presenting this at rounds? Start here
- ?Should the finding of intrinsic muscle weakness on exam prompt routine screening for the 'other' nerve (median or ulnar) before proceeding to single-site decompression?
- ?How might identifying concomitant CTS/CuTS preoperatively change surgical planning or patient counseling about expected recovery after decompression?