Fact · Accessibility and health
77.6percent
In a 2011 meta-analysis, ultrasound had a sensitivity of 77.6 percent and a specificity of 86.8 percent for diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome, measured against electrodiagnostic testing.
Checked against its source on October 17, 2026
In the source's own words
“The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound in the diagnosis of CTS are 77.6% and 86.8%, respectively.”
The Sensitivity and Specificity of Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Meta-analysis, John R Fowler, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 2011, Conclusions.
Open the original (DOI 10.1007/s11999-010-1637-5)- What it measures
- The pooled figures combine studies that used different ultrasound measures and different reference tests. The authors state that ultrasound may not replace electrodiagnostic testing.
- What it does not show
- Pooled across studies with wide variation. The figures describe the test against electrodiagnostic testing, not against a clinical diagnosis, and do not describe a single scan.