Carpal tunnel syndrome following automobile collisions.

Seven patients developed symptoms and signs of carpal tunnel syndrome after vehicles they were driving were involved in collisions. Nerve conduction studies showed median nerve impairment at the wrist in 4 patients and suggested it in the other three. The presence of carpal tunnel syndrome was confirmed in every patient by the relief of symptoms following surgical division of the volar carpal ligament. The findings suggest that injuries inflicted on nonneural structures of the carpal tunnel when the patient was gripping the steering wheel led to chronic compression of the median nerve within the tunnel.