Abstract

Objective:
This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and its associated risk factors among orthopedic surgeons working in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Methods:
This cross-sectional study was conducted among orthopedic surgeons working in multiple hospitals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The data were collected from the participants through Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire (BCTQ).
Results:
This study enrolled 151 orthopedic surgeons. Around 39.1% were aged between 25 and 29 years old, with males being dominant (88.1%). And 39.7% were overweight (25 – 29.9 kg/m2). Most of them were right-handed (93.4%). The prevalence of surgeons who were diagnosed with CTS was 3.3%. Around 20.5% were consultant surgeons with 57.6% had 1 to 5 years of experience and 55.6% had 5 or less performed surgeries per week. The overall mean score of the Symptom Severity Scale (SSS) domain was 13 (SD 4.12), with 62.3% considered as having no symptoms. Regarding the Functional Status Scale (FSS) domain, the total mean score was 8.38 (SD 1.49), with nearly all categorized as no difficulty (83.4%). It was observed that increasing SSS score was associated with increasing BMI level (Z=2.164; p=0.030) and performing arthroscopic procedures (Z=2.653; p=0.008), while a higher FSS score was more associated with conducting arthroscopic procedures (Z=1.438; p=0.021)
Conclusion:
The prevalence of mild to severe CTS symptoms among orthopedic surgeons was 37.7%. Increased severity was more prevalent among surgeons with elevated body mass index, while those regularly dealing with arthroscopic procedures had increased symptom severity and functional difficulties.

Key words: Prevalence, risk factors, carpal tunnel syndrome, orthopedic surgeons, Saudi Arabia