Development and Psychometric Evaluation of a Questionnaire for the Assessment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome and Trigger Finger

Assel Kaliyeva, Arman Batpen, Birzhan Malik, Meiram Baubekov, Maksut Ibrayev, Zhanbolat Zhaniyaz

2026

Full text Open access: Gold Metadata (CSL-JSON)
DOI 10.52889/1684-9280-2026-77-2-jto048
Data confidence 85 high
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Abstract

Carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger are common hand disorders that often coexist and significantly affect hand function and quality of life. Existing patient-reported outcome measures, such as the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire, primarily focus on carpal tunnel syndrome and do not fully capture symptoms related to trigger finger. Therefore, there is a need for a comprehensive tool that evaluates both conditions.The aim of this studywas to evaluate the psychometric properties of a novel questionnaire we developedto assess symptoms, functional limitations, and risk factors associated with carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger.Methods. A cross-sectional study included 54 patients with clinically confirmed carpal tunnel syndrome with or without concommitant trigger finger. The developed questionnaire consisted of sections assessing symptoms, functional limitations, and risk factors. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha. Convergent validity was assessed using Spearman’s correlation between the developed questionnaire and the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire. Floor and ceiling effects were also analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize demographic and clinical characteristics.Results. The study included 54 female patients with a mean age of 58.8 ± 10.5 years. Isolated carpal tunnel syndrome was observed in 94.4% of patients, while 5.6% had concomitant trigger finger. The internal consistency of the symptom scale was acceptable (Cronbach’s α=0.786), while the functional limitation scale demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach’s α=0.895). Correlations between the developed questionnaire and BCTQ scales were weak and not statistically significant (r=0.114, p=0.416 for symptoms; r=0.191, p=0.170 for functional limitations). However, a strong positive correlation was observed between the symptom and functional limitation scales of the developed questionnaire (r=0.693, p<0.001). No significant floor or ceiling effects were identified.Conclusions.The developed questionnaire demonstrated acceptable reliability and satisfactory psychometric properties for assessing symptoms and functional limitations associated with carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger. The instrument may serve as a useful tool for comprehensive clinical assessment of patients with these conditions. Further studies with larger and more diverse populations are recommended.Keywords:carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, questionnaire, validation.