# Biomechanical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome for Hispanic women

> **NIH NIH R21** · UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA · 2024 · $214,900

## Abstract

Abstract
Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common compressive neuropathy. The need for advancement in
therapeutic treatment modalities is evidenced by the disease prevalence, potential for surgical
complications and disparities in surgical availability amongst certain populations, particularly Hispanic
women. Addressing this area of need is critical for regions such as Tucson, Arizona, which has a
Hispanic population that is nearly half of the overall population. Non-surgical carpal arch space
augmentation (CASA) is a treatment modality for carpal tunnel syndrome developed by our Hand
Research Laboratory. This supplement has two specific aims. The first aim is to demonstrate
treatment efficacy of the CASA intervention for symptom relief and hand function improvement in
Hispanic women afflicted with carpal tunnel syndrome. The second aim is to compare the CASA
intervention and standard-of-care (SOC) brace treatment for symptom relief and hand function
improvement in Hispanic women with carpal tunnel syndrome. Hispanic women participants with
carpal tunnel syndrome will be randomized into CASA and SOC groups. The study design is
composed of a 4-week intervention phase and a 4-week follow-up phase. Patient-reported symptom
and function outcomes will be collected over the 8 weeks. We hypothesize that the CASA treatment
will alleviate symptoms and improve hand function of the carpal tunnel syndrome participants.
Furthermore, we hypothesize that CASA treatment will be more effective than the SOC in relieving
symptoms and improving hand function. Demonstrating the effectiveness of CASA in relieving
symptoms and improving hand function in Hispanic women will provide a contribution to advancing
treatment options of carpal tunnel syndrome for populations with evidenced healthcare disparities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11014617
- **Project number:** 3R21AR082111-01A1S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
- **Principal Investigator:** C KENT KWOH
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $214,900
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2024-08-01 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11014617

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11014617, Biomechanical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome for Hispanic women (3R21AR082111-01A1S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11014617. Licensed CC0.

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