Electrophysiologic Evidence of Concomitant Focal Nerve Entrapments in Persons With Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

Background: Although an association between peripheral nerve entrapment issues and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has been found, research has generally focused solely on nerve entrapment in the upper or lower extremity individually rather than on the consideration of nerve entrapment simultaneously in the upper and lower extremities. In addition, most of these studies have used small sample sizes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and tarsal tunnel syndrome (TTS) concurrently in patients with RA using a relatively large sample size.

Methods: A cross-sectional study using a nonprobability sampling method retrospectively surveyed the incidence of CTS and TTS in 338 patients with RA who had clinical signs of nerve entrapment and electrodiagnostic test evidence of CTS or TTS. The study comprised a sample of 269 women and 69 men.

Results: Electrodiagnostic testing found CTS in 256 patients (75.7%) and TTS in 82 patients (24.3%); CTS was found in 56 men and 200 women, and TTS was seen in 13 men and 69 women. Concurrent CTS and TTS occurred in 50 patients (14.8%; nine men and 41 women).

Conclusions: Peripheral nerve entrapment in the form of CTS and TTS was found to have a high incidence in persons with RA. The incidence of CTS and TTS occurring simultaneously in persons with RA was also found to be significant.