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Tinel's Sign is a medical procedure used to detect irritated nerves. It is named after French neurologist Jules Tinel.

Overview

Tinel's Sign is performed by lightly tapping (percussing) over the nerve to elicit a sensation of tingling or "pins and needles" in the distribution of the nerve. It is often performed in a physical examination of a patient with suspected carpal tunnel syndrome.

Procedure

The examiner taps on the median nerve at the patient's wrist. If the patient experiences a tingling sensation in the fingers, the test is positive and carpal tunnel syndrome is likely.

History

The sign was first described by Paul Hoffmann in 1915 and independently described by Jules Tinel in 1917. It is sometimes called Hoffmann-Tinel sign.

See also

• Phalen's maneuver
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Nerve compression syndrome
• Jules Tinel
• Paul Hoffmann