Introduction Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common occupational disease in Tunisia. It has various professional and extra-professional risk factors.

Objectives Describe the socio-professional, clinical and paraclinical characteristics of work-related CTS and specify its impact on medical fitness for work.

Methods Descriptive retrospective study on cases of CTS collected in the occupational medicine and diseases department of the Rabta Hospital in Tunis, between 2001 and 2017.

Results We identified 66 cases with a clear predominance of women (94%) and a mean age of 43 ± 7 years. The sectors of activity that provided the most CTS were the textile industry (30%), the wiring sector (14%) and the food industry (12%). The most represented job was unskilled worker (82%). The predominant occupational risk factors were extreme wrist postures (89%), fine and precise movements (61%) and repetitive movements (46%). The time to onset of symptoms was 15 ± 8 years after employment. The most frequent symptoms were paresthesia in the median nerve territory (90%), wrist pain (26%) and muscle weakness (18%). The CTS was most often bilateral (59%), of the sensory-motor type (23%) and severe (33%), justifying a transfer to another workstation (55%), a workstation adaptation (29%) or a temporary (4%) or permanent (6%) inability to work. From a medico-legal standpoint, this pathology was considered, in 79% of cases, as an occupational disease compensable under the table relating to gestures and postures.

Conclusion CTS is a multifactorial musculoskeletal disorder involving significant professional repercussions, hence the need to put in place a structured prevention plan in the most affected sectors.