The Molecular Genetics of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Version 1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The Molecular Genetics of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
IRAS ID
210026
Contact name
Dominic Furniss
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Clinical Trials and Research Governance Team, University of Oxford
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common condition of the hand that is caused by compression of the median nerve in the wrist. Symptoms include numbness, tingling, pain in the fingers, and weakness of the thumb - it can therefore be a very disabling condition for patients. Tens of thousands of carpal tunnel release operations are performed in the UK each year, but there are risks of complications from this operation, and many patients do not improve, or get recurrent symptoms.
It is not known why some people develop CTS while others do not. Some people appear to be genetically predisposed to developing CTS, but there are also occupational and lifestyle factors that increase the risk of developing the condition.
Our aim is to understand the genetic basis of CTS. This will help us to understand what causes CTS, and lead to the development of new treatments in the future, reducing the need for, and recurrence after surgery.
We will be performing a genetic association study on CTS using data already obtained by the UK Biobank, to detect genetic variants that predispose to CTS.
In order to perform experiments to validate and shed further light on these genetic results, in this study (MGCTS), we aim to recruit approximately 150 participants with diagnosed CTS. Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire before and after their operation. On the day of the operation, participants will also be asked to provide a blood sample and a saliva sample, and the operating surgeon will collect small tissue samples from the hand during the operation.
The research will be conducted at OUH NHS Foundation Trust, NDORMS and the NDCN at the University of Oxford, and is expected to last approximately 5 years.
REC name
London - Camden & Kings Cross Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/1920
Date of REC Opinion
21 Oct 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion