Evaluation of a questionnaire on symptom severity and functional status of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome

Abstract

This study aimed at assessing the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire by Levine et al. (1993), a self-administered instrument for evaluating severity of symptoms and functional status in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). It is made up of two scales: one on the severity of symptoms – pain, paresthesias, numbness, weakness, nocturnal symptoms – and the other on function impairment. It was answered by 30 patients with CTS, who were guided to answer only about the most affected hand. The analysis of results shows no correlation between age and severity of symptoms, nor between these and the most affected hand (right or left). The questionnaire proved consistent, since a highly positive correlation was found between the two scales: the more severe the symptoms, the worse the functional status. With the objection that it doen’st seem to have foreseen cases in which the dominant hand is not the most affected one, it is an instrument of easy application and understanding, hence suitable to standardize the assessment of CTS symptoms; it is here suggested that it be applied separately for each hand.