RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of combined entrapment syndromes of the forearm in a clinical collective with regard to the question of whether this is an especially configured subgroup. METHODS: We included 1 051 patients (747 females aged 52.93 +/- 14.08 years, 304 males aged 52.63 +/- 12.49 years) with clinically and electrophysiologically verified entrapment syndromes (carpal tunnel syndrome n = 957, sulcus ulnaris syndrome n = 143, supinator syndrome n = 12). We excluded patients with symptomatic entrapment syndromes, e. g., post-traumatic or patients with polyneuropathy. The clinical symptoms were compared. RESULTS: In 61 (5.8 %) patients we found combined entrapment syndromes (carpal tunnel syndrome/sulcus ulnaris syndrome n = 54, carpal tunnel syndrome/supinator syndrome n = 5, sulcus ulnaris syndrome/supinator syndrome n = 2). 32.9 % of the sulcus ulnaris syndromes and 41.7 % of the supinator syndromes were combined with carpal tunnel syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of the very different anatomy of the entrapment, combinations are more frequent than was to be expected from knowledge of the epidemiological data of carpal tunnel syndrome. Combined entrapment was more frequent at the handed side than carpal tunnel syndrome. Thus, forced use of the hand may be a cause for the more frequent appearance of combined entrapment syndromes.
