Journal of Musculoskeletal Research, Vol. 7, No. 2 (2003) 87– 96 © World Scientific Publishing Company 87 ORIGINAL ARTICLES ORIGINAL ARTICLES Correspondence to: Dr. Shrawan Kumar, Department of Physical Therapy, 3-75 Corbett Hall, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R4, Canada. WORK-RELATED CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME: CURRENT CONCEPTS Mircea Fagarasanu * and Shrawan Kumar , * Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta  Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine and Professor, Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, University of Alberta  shrawan.kumar@ualberta.ca Received April 7, 2003; Accepted May 1, 2003 ABSTRACT Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) has been the subject of a growing number of studies, most of them leading to contradictory outcomes. The dual aim of this paper is to provide the foundation for a thorough understanding of CTS history, and to emphasize the strong relationship between upper extremity activities and occupational CTS. Evidence of work relatedness, as well as contradictory opinions regarding the role of job-related risk factors on CTS development are addressed. It is proposed that a thorough understanding of the factors that intervene in the task-CTS causal relationship, as well as the assessment of workers adaptation capacity will lead to ergonomic interventions that will ensure a reduction in the number of work-related CTS cases. Keywords: Musculoskeletal disorders; Work relatedness; Physical factors; Psychosocial factors. HISTORY OF CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME It is highly probable that due to the poor-designed tools and work techniques the first victim of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) was the Stone Age Man. 20 After thousands of years, CTS is not only present, but also due to the same reasons, has an exponential increase in incidence and prevalence from one decade to the next. Due to the clinical symptomatic diversity and because the preoccupation with the motor manifestations was far greater as compared to that with sensory signs, 38 the exact diagnosis of CTS has not been achieved or, in many cases, postponed. The first workers disease was reported in 1717 by Ramazinni 83 who noticed that during work activities, factors like unnatural postures of the body, violent and irregular motions were the