What is associated with carpal tunnel syndrome?

• A. Radius.
• B. Median nerve of the wrist.
• C. Ulnar nerve of the wrist.
• D. Head of the ulna.

Answer: (B)

Carpal tunnel syndrome arises from compression of the median nerve as it travels through the carpal tunnel in the wrist. This nerve supplies sensation to the thumb, index, middle, and part of the ring finger, and it controls many of the thumb muscles. When compressed, you get numbness, tingling, or weakness in those areas, especially the thenar muscles. The radius is a forearm bone and not involved in this nerve entrapment. The ulnar nerve, which travels toward the pinky side and muscles deep in the hand, passes through a different space (the ulnar canal) and is not the nerve affected here. The head of the ulna is an elbow/forearm structure unrelated to carpal tunnel syndrome. So the association is the median nerve of the wrist.