21 years
I need to know what are the causes for canal carpien and tarsal syndrome cause I do twice the canal carpien surgery and tarsal syndrome...thank you!
Aug 28, 2014
Carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when the median nerve, the nerve that runs from the forearm into the palm of the hand, is compressed or squeezed at the wrist. The median nerve is responsible for the sensation in the palm side of the thumb and fingers (although not the little finger), as well as allowing the fingers and thumb to move.
The carpal tunnel is a narrow, rigid passage made up of ligament and bones at the base of the hand. It houses the median nerve and tendons. Thickened irritated tendons or other source of swelling, narrows down the tunnel and compresses against the median nerve. Pain, weakness, or numbness in the hand and wrist that can radiate up the arm occurs as a result.
Carpal tunnel syndrome is often the result of a combination of factors that increase pressure on the median nerve and tendons in the carpal tunnel, rather than a problem with the nerve itself. The disorder most commonly results from a congenital predisposition, with some people being born the carpal tunnel is simply smaller in some people than in others.
Other contributing factors include:
- trauma or injury to the wrist that cause swelling, such as sprain or fracture;
- over activity of the pituitary gland (this is a tiny gland that sits underneath the brain; it secretes many hormones that control other glands)
- hypothyroidism (poor thyroid gland function)
- rheumatoid arthritis (an inflammatory disease of the joints)
- mechanical problems in the wrist joint
- work stress
- repeated use of vibrating hand tools
- development of a cyst or tumor in the canal.
In some cases, nevertheless, no cause can be identified.
Women are three times more likely than men to develop carpal tunnel syndrome, most probably because the carpal tunnel itself may be smaller in women than in men. The dominant hand is usually affected first and produces the most severe pain.
Persons with diabetes or other metabolic disorders that directly affect the body's nerves and make them more susceptible to compression are also at high risk. Carpal tunnel syndrome usually occurs only in adults.
The risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome is not necessarily bound to occur in people in a single industry or job, but is especially common among individuals working in assembly line work - manufacturing, sewing, finishing, cleaning etc. In fact, carpal tunnel syndrome is three times more common among assemblers than among data-entry personnel.
The tarsal tunnel refers to the narrow space that lies on the inside of the ankle next to the ankle bones. The tarsal tunnel refers to the canal formed between the medial malleolus (part of the ankle bone, this is the bump on the inside of the ankle) and the flexor retinaculum (a band of ligaments that stretches across the foot). Inside the tarsal tunnel are the nerves, arteries, and tendons that provide movement and flexibility to the foot.
The tunnel is covered with a thick ligament (the flexor retinaculum) that protects and maintains the structures contained within the tunnel—arteries, veins, tendons, and nerves. One of these structures is the posterior tibial nerve, which is the focus of tarsal tunnel syndrome.
Tarsal tunnel syndrome is a compression, or squeezing, on the posterior tibial nerve that produces symptoms anywhere along the path of the nerve running from the inside of the ankle into the foot.
Tarsal tunnel syndrome is similar to carpal tunnel syndrome, which occurs in the wrist. Both disorders arise from the compression of a nerve in a confined space.
Causes
Tarsal tunnel syndrome is caused by anything that produces compression on the posterior tibial nerve, such as:
• A person with flat feet or fallen arches, because the outward tilting of the heel that occurs with “fallen” arches can produce strain and compression on the nerve.
• Swelling caused by an ankle sprain which then compresses on the nerve
• An enlarged or abnormal structure that occupies space within the tunnel can compress the nerve. Some examples include a varicose vein, ganglion cyst, swollen tendon, and arthritic bone spur.
• An injury, such as an ankle sprain, may produce inflammation and swelling in or near the tunnel, resulting in compression of the nerve.
• Systemic diseases such as diabetes or arthritis can cause swelling, thus compressing the nerve.
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