Which condition is Phalen's test intended to assess?

Which condition is Phalen's test intended to assess?

• A. Median nerve compression within the carpal tunnel
• B. Ulnar nerve compression at the elbow
• C. Radial tunnel syndrome
• D. Dupuytren's contracture

Answer: (A)

Phalen's test checks for compression of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel. By holding the wrists in full flexion (palms pressed together) for about a minute, pressure inside the carpal tunnel increases. If numbness or tingling appears in the median-nerve distribution (thumb, index, middle finger, and the radial half of the ring finger), it suggests carpal tunnel syndrome due to median nerve entrapment. Why this fits: the carpal tunnel is the space where the median nerve travels with several flexor tendons; flexion raises tunnel pressure and can reproduce symptoms when the nerve is compressed. Why the other options don’t fit: ulnar nerve issues at the elbow would cause symptoms in the little finger and ulnar half of the ring finger, not along the median-nerve territory; radial tunnel syndrome typically presents with pain around the lateral elbow or forearm rather than median-nerve sensory symptoms; Dupuytren's contracture is a palmar fascia problem causing finger contractures, not nerve-related paresthesias elicited by wrist flexion.

Phalen's test checks for compression of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel. By holding the wrists in full flexion (palms pressed together) for about a minute, pressure inside the carpal tunnel increases. If numbness or tingling appears in the median-nerve distribution (thumb, index, middle finger, and the radial half of the ring finger), it suggests carpal tunnel syndrome due to median nerve entrapment.

Why this fits: the carpal tunnel is the space where the median nerve travels with several flexor tendons; flexion raises tunnel pressure and can reproduce symptoms when the nerve is compressed.

Why the other options don’t fit: ulnar nerve issues at the elbow would cause symptoms in the little finger and ulnar half of the ring finger, not along the median-nerve territory; radial tunnel syndrome typically presents with pain around the lateral elbow or forearm rather than median-nerve sensory symptoms; Dupuytren's contracture is a palmar fascia problem causing finger contractures, not nerve-related paresthesias elicited by wrist flexion.