Mean of 11 items assessing night pain, daytime pain, numbness, tingling, and weakness.
Functional Status (FSS)
Mean of 8 items assessing difficulty with writing, buttoning, gripping, and daily chores.
Standardized PROM
The Boston Questionnaire is the validated gold standard for measuring patient-reported improvement after carpal tunnel release (CTR).
Impairment Sentinel Probe
Enter the calculated mean scores (1.0 to 5.0) for both segments of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire to establish the baseline impairment profile.
Guidelines & Evidence
Clinical Details
Section 1
When to Use
When to Use
Assessing symptom severity and functional impact in patients with suspected carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).
Determining surgical candidacy before carpal tunnel release (CTR).
Tracking post-operative outcomes and symptom resolution following decompression.
Comparing conservative vs. surgical management in clinical research.
Patient Population
Applicable to adults with clinically suspected or electrodiagnostically confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome. Validated in both pre-operative and post-operative settings.
Section 2
Formula & Logic
Two-Component Structure
Symptom Severity Scale (SSS)
11 items: pain, numbness, tingling, weakness; total 11-55.
Functional Status Scale (FSS)
8 items: ADL impact (gripping, writing, hygiene); total 8-40.
The BCTQ uniquely separates symptom burden from functional impact. A patient with high symptom severity but minimal hand dysfunction (low FSS) may defer surgery, while moderate symptoms with severe functional loss may justify early intervention.
Section 4
Literature
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Developed by Levine et al. at Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston, Massachusetts) in 1993. It became the gold standard disease-specific outcome measure for CTS.
Section 5
Evidence Appraisal
Original Validation
A self-administered questionnaire for the assessment of severity of symptoms and functional status in carpal tunnel syndrome
Levine DW et al. • J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1993;75(11):1585-1592
