Table of Contents
Injuries
Bone dislocations and fractures can narrow the carpal tunnel and put pressure on the median nerve.
Hormonal Changes
Hormonal fluctuations in women play a role in CTS. Such fluctuations may lead to fluid retention and other changes that cause swelling in the body. Fluid retention is one reason that CTS may develop during pregnancy.
Genetic Factors
CTS is associated with a family history of the disorder. Certain physical characteristics or medical conditions that are associated with CTS also run in families. Carpal tunnel syndrome in young people most likely has a genetic component.
Other genetic factors that may contribute to this disorder include abnormalities in certain genes that regulate myelin, a fatty substance that insulates nerve fibers.
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Review Date: 02/17/2011
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.
Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M.,
Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
