Bifid median nerve in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of the anatomic variation of a bifid median nerve in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and to determine the size criteria for sonography.

METHODS

On axial sonograms of 320 hands of 170 patients with CTS and 240 hands of 120 unaffected individuals, the median nerve was evaluated morphologically for a bifid median nerve, and the cross-sectional area was measured at 3 levels (radial-ulnar junction, pisiform, and hook of the hamate). Electrophysiologic studies were performed in addition to clinical and sonographic evaluations in all patients, controls with a bifid median nerve, and controls with a cross-sectional area of greater than 0.09 cm(2).

RESULTS

A bifid median nerve was seen in 32 (19%) of 170 patients and 11 (9%) of 120 controls. It occurred relatively frequently in patients with CTS (P < .01). The cross-sectional area of the bifid median nerve was relatively higher than that of the nonbifid median nerve in controls at 2 of the 3 levels (P < .001; P = .226; P < .01). The cutoff values for the cross-sectional area at the level of the pisiform were 0.11 cm(2) (sensitivity, 90%; specificity, 99%; P < .001) for patients with a bifid median nerve and 0.10 cm(2) (sensitivity, 98%; specificity, 81%; P < .001) for patients with a nonbifid median nerve.

CONCLUSIONS

A bifid median nerve occurs relatively frequently in patients with CTS. It may facilitate compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel because of its relatively higher cross-sectional area compared with a nonbifid median nerve. The size criterion for CTS in patients with a bifid median nerve is slightly higher than in those with a nonbifid median nerve.