Current RMA Instruments
| Reasonable Hypothesis SOP | 93 of 2021 |
| Balance of Probabilities SOP | 94 of 2021 |
Changes from previous instruments
ICD Coding
- ICD-10-AM Codes: G56.0
Brief description
This condition affects the thumb, index and middle fingers and half of the ring finger. It results in pain and numbness, and weakness in some cases, due to pressure on / entrapment of the median nerve in the wrist.
Confirming the diagnosis
Diagnosis is based on characteristic clinical history and examination findings. Electrophysiological testing can often be used to help confirm the diagnosis but it is not always required.
The appropriate specialist for this condition is a neurologist or orthopaedic (hand) surgeon.
Additional diagnoses covered by SOP
- Median nerve entrapment at the wrist
Conditions not covered by SOP
- anterior interosseous syndrome#
- cervical radiculopathy - may be covered by thoracic outlet syndrome SOP, or cervical spondylosis SOP, or be non-SOP
- cubital tunnel syndrome* - ulnar neuropathy at the elbow SOP
- median nerve neuritis#
- pronator syndrome#
- thoracic outlet syndrome*
- ulnar tunnel syndrome#
* another SOP applies
# non-SOP condition
Clinical onset
Clinical onset will be when symptoms (pain, parasthesia, weakness) in the hand, in the median nerve distribution, first began.
Clinical worsening
A clinical course involving periods of remission and exacerbation is common. There may be progression from intermittent to persistent sensory symptoms, and later, to the development of motor symptoms (weakness).