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An Experimental Investigation into Staging CTS Utilizing Portable Ultrasound and Doppler as a Diagnostic Alternative

ReHaB Core ⟩ MSOP Lab ⟩

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a musculoskeletal disorder, afflicting employees who are involved in using their hands for intensive work tasks. An increase in the reported number of cases of CTS has been noted and the causes are still being investigated. Research has indicated that employees at risk for CTS are likely involved in tasks that incur repetition, awkward postures, high force, vibration, and pressure on the wrist. To this end, some employers have use nerve conduction studies (NCS) to monitor or evaluate employees, in an effort to reduce the company’s risk for workman’s compensation and decreased production. NCS has been studied extensively as a diagnostic test to detect CTS however it is not always well tolerated by patients and is still plagued with false negatives. The use of medical ultrasound, to image the median nerve, is not considered a new diagnostic tool however, the use of portable units with high frequency transducers and power Doppler are innovations that could lead to a non-invasive alternative to monitor musculoskeletal disorders that occur in the workplace. Therefore, the central hypothesis of this proposal is that medical ultrasound with high frequency transducers and power Doppler can be conducted to improve prevention and clinical interventions for CTS.

Funding

Type	Source	Number	Amount
Private	The Ohio State University	60032407 (NIH Project 5R21OH009907-02)	$4,303

USC Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
1540 Alcazar Street, CHP 133, Los Angeles, CA 90089-9003

ACOTE accreditation | NBCOT certification

The USC entry-level master’s degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education® (ACOTE®) of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The USC entry-level doctorate in occupational therapy (OTD) degree program (cost of attendance) is accredited by ACOTE®. View our program’s ACOTE® standards public data. ACOTE® c/o the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.®, 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 510E, Bethesda, MD 20814, (301) 652-AOTA, www.acoteonline.org.

Professional program graduates are eligible to apply for the national certification examination administered by the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy, Inc.® (NBCOT®), nbcot.org. All states require licensure to practice; a felony conviction may affect a graduate’s ability to sit for the NBCOT® OTR certification examination or attain state licensure. Program results from the NBCOT® can be found online at www.nbcot.org/Educators-Folder/SchoolPerformance.