Electrodiagnosis in carpal tunnel syndrome

There is currently no gold standard to definitively diagnose carpal tunnel syndrome. It remains a clinical diagnosis supported by characteristic electrodiagnostic abnormalities. Properly performed electrodiagnostic studies should provide the hand surgeon with information regarding severity, progression if a previous study was performed, and a reasonable assurance that concomitant peripheral nervous system abnormalities are not present. Hand surgeons do not need to discern nuances of an electrodiagnostic evaluation; however, the ability to identify state-of-the-art techniques coupled with a thoughtful interpretation by the electrodiagnostician will improve their confidence in using this important diagnostic tool to evaluate carpal tunnel syndrome.