In the human wrist there is a sheath of tough connective tissue which envelopes and protects one nerve and tendons, which attach muscles to the wrist and hand bones.

The carpal tunnel is the space between this sheath and the bones making up the wrist and hand (carpal bones).

The term 'carpal tunnel' is also used quite commonly to refer to 'carpal tunnel syndrome' which is a condition where the median nerve is pinched within the tunnel and causes pain and/or numbness of the wrist/hand, typically as a result of repetitive motion such as painting or typing..

For more information about the topic Carpal tunnel, read the full article at Wikipedia.org, or see the following related articles:

Peripheral nervous system — The peripheral nervous system or PNS, is part of the nervous system, and consists of the nerves and neurons that reside or extend outside the central ...  > read more

Joint — A joint (articulation) is the location at which two bones make contact (articulate). Joints are constructed to both allow movement and provide ...  > read more

Bone age — Bone age is a way of describing the degree of maturation of a child's bones. As a person grows from fetal life through childhood, puberty, and ...  > read more

Orthopedic surgery — Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics (Commonwealth: "orthopaedics") is the branch of surgery concerned with acute, chronic, traumatic, and recurrent ...  > read more

Related Stories

Researchers Find Evidence For Traumatic Cause Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (November 10, 2006) — New Mayo Clinic research suggests that a shearing injury of the tissue that lines the tendons within the carpal tunnel may cause carpal tunnel syndrome, a debilitating condition of the wrist and ...  > read more

Avoiding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (March 12, 2007) — Researchers have conducted the first study that systematically identifies how one contributor to carpal tunnel syndrome -- carpal tunnel pressure -- can be examined in detail to establish limits on ...  > read more

New Study Shows Effects Of Pressure On The Carpal Tunnel (September 25, 1998) — UC San Francisco researchers have developed a new animal model to study carpal tunnel syndrome and have shown high pressure to this area in the wrist damages the structure as well as decreases nerve ...  > read more

Sore Wrists And Hands Can Result From Our Work: But Is It Carpal Tunnel Syndrome? (March 30, 2008) — Do you feel numbness, burning pain or a tingling sensation in your hand or wrist that seems to increase at night; have difficulty holding objects without dropping them; or find it increasingly ...  > read more

Using Computer Doesn't Increase Risk Of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, Study Finds (June 12, 2001) — Using a computer at work doesn't increase your chances of developing carpal tunnel syndrome, according to a study published in the June 12 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the ...  > read more

Search ScienceDaily

Oh My Aching Hands