ABSTRACT
[Objective]To evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrasonography in patients with carpaltunnel syndrome (CTS) by measuring the thickness of transverse carpal ligament.[Method]Forty patients who had clinically and electrophysiologically confirmed as CTS underwent surgery and ultrasonographic examination by the same operator for the thickness of transverse carpal ligaments at the level of the hook of the hamate bone in transverse plane preoperatively.Twenty-four asymptomatic normal wrists served as control.Data of the ultrasonography and surgey from patients and the control groups were compared to determine the diagnostic parameters.[Result]The ultrasonographic thickness of transverse carpal ligaments in CTS patients was (0.42?0.08)cm at hamate hook leve and the data from surgey was (0.40?0.10).The data in control group was (0.29?0.07)cm.There was significant difference in the mean value of thickness of transverse carpal ligaments between the two groups at the same level.There was no significant difference between the data of CTS from surgey and ultrasonography.[Conclusion]Ultrasonography examination of the thickness of transverse carpal ligamentsis is a new and feasibile method in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome.