Carpal Compression Test of wrist joint
- This Carpal Compression Test is also known as the Median Compression Test/Durkan’s test.
- This test is applied to the clinic for checking the carpal tunnel syndrome of the patient.
- This clinical & neurological test is applied by a neuro doctor or therapist when the patient complains about wrist pain or neurological symptoms in the hand.
What is the Purpose of the Carpal Compression Test of the wrist joint?
- This Carpal Compression Test is used to check carpal tunnel syndrome.
How do you perform the Carpal Compression Test of the wrist joint?
- The patient’s position for the test is sitting or standing position.
- Then the examiner [ therapist ] holds the supinated wrist joint in both hands.
- After that apply direct, even pressure over the median nerve in the carpal tunnel for up to 30 seconds.
What is the result of the Carpal Compression Test of the wrist joint?
- If the patient feels the production of the patient’s symptoms, it is considered to be a positive test for carpal tunnel syndrome.
- This Carpal Compression Test is a modification of the reverse Phalen’s test.
Other techniques of performance of the Carpal Compression Test:
- The test may also involve flexing the wrist joint 60′ before applying the pressure & whether symptoms are relieved when the examiner [ therapist ] lets go.
- It may take a few minutes for the symptoms to be relieved.
- The wrist joint flexion makes the test more sensitive.
What is Evidence of the Carpal Compression Test of the wrist joint?
- The research on the Carpal Compression Test is done in 2016.
- This test finds to more suitable diagnostic test for carpal tunnel syndrome among the carpal compression test = CCT, Tinel’s test = TT & Phalen’s test = PT.
- This study shows sensitivity & specificity of the Carpal compression test are higher than both Tinel’s & Phalen’s tests.
- this study also suggests that both CCT = Carpal Compression Test & TT = Tinel’s test is positive so the diagnosis is more likely to be CTS = Carpal Compression Test.
- Sensitivity of this Carpal compression test = 80.6%
- Specificity of this Carpal compression test = 52.9%
