Carpal tunnel syndrome
Description
- Compression of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel, beneath the flexor retinaculum
- The commonest entrapment neuropathy - and the commonest cause of hand paraesthesia
- Contents of the tunnel: median nerve + 9 flexor tendons (4 FDS, 4 FDP, FPL) in a rigid osseofibrous space
- *The palmar cutaneous branch leaves the median nerve PROXIMAL to the tunnel -> the thenar eminence skin is spared*
- Sensory loss over the palm at the base of the thumb points to a lesion proximal to the wrist, not carpal tunnel syndrome
- Recurrent motor branch -> abductor pollicis brevis, opponens pollicis, flexor pollicis brevis (superficial head) and the first two lumbricals ("LOAF")
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