Title: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Bedside Testing<br/>Author: Brian Corwell<br/><a href='http://umem.org/profiles/faculty/294/'>[Click to email author]</a><hr/><p> <strong>Hand elevation test</strong></p> <p> </p> <ul> <li> Hand elevation has been known to reproduce the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome.</li> </ul> <p style="margin-left:.5in;"> </p> <ul> <li> This phenomenon prompted the idea of developing a simple hand elevation test to diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome. </li> </ul> <p style="margin-left:.5in;"> </p> <ul> <li> To perform: Ask the patient to elevate both arms in the air for one minute. Hands are raised actively and without strain, keeping the elbows and shoulders relatively loose.</li> </ul> <p style="margin-left:.5in;"> </p> <ul> <li> A positive test reproduces symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome. </li> </ul> <p style="margin-left:.5in;"> </p> <ul> <li> The hand elevation test has a high sensitivity (75-86%) and specificity (89-98.5%) and may be comparable to or likely better than other provocative tests.</li> </ul> <p> </p> <p> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IO2qC5qHVFE</p> <fieldset><legend>References</legend>
<p> 1) <span style="color: rgb(33, 33, 33); font-family: BlinkMacSystemFont, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Ahn DS. Hand elevation: a new test for carpal tunnel syndrome. Ann Plast Surg. 2001</span></p> <p> </p> <p> <span a="" ahn="" ann="" carpal="" droid="" ds.="" elevation:="" fira="" font-size:="" for="" hand="" helvetica="" new="" plast="" segoe="" span="" style="color: rgb(33, 33, 33); font-family: BlinkMacSystemFont, -apple-system, " surg.="" syndrome.="" test="" tunnel="">2) Ma H, Kim I. The diagnostic assessment of hand elevation test in carpal tunnel syndrome. J Korean Neurosurg Soc. 2012 Nov;52(5):472-5.</span></p> </fieldset>