A comparison of flexor tenosynovectomy, open carpal tunnel release, and open carpal tunnel release with flexor tenosynovectomy in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the advantages and disadvantages of performing a flexor tenosynovectomy without dividing the transverse carpal ligament, an open carpal tunnel release, and an open carpal tunnel release with flexor tenosynovectomy in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. From 1990 to 1998, a retrospective study was done in which a flexor tenosynovectomy was performed in 133 patients without division of the transverse carpal ligament and compared with 68 patients who had an open carpal tunnel release and 75 patients who had an open carpal tunnel release and flexor tenosynovectomy. Patients were followed up for an average period of 30 weeks with history and physical findings and nerve conduction velocities and for an average period of 2.6 years with telephone interviews. There was a 2.3 percent incidence of pillar pain in the flexor tenosynovectomy group, which may explain the earlier return to their regular jobs at an average time of 9.9 weeks, compared with 10.7 weeks for the carpal tunnel release group and 12.0 weeks for the carpal tunnel release/flexor tenosynovectomy group. The latter two groups had an incidence of pillar pain of 12.1 percent and 25.3 percent, respectively. Postoperative grip strength was statistically significantly improved in the flexor tenosynovectomy group compared with the other two groups, where adjustments were made for sex and preoperative grip strengths with standard error of adjusted means. In the flexor tenosynovectomy group, 20.6 percent of patients had a previous open or endoscopic carpal tunnel release with recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome, compared with 5.2 percent in the open carpal tunnel release group and 21.6 percent in the open carpal tunnel release with flexor tenosynovectomy group. Excisional biopsies of flexor tenosynovium in the flexor tenosynovectomy, open carpal tunnel release, and open carpal tunnel release with flexor tenosynovectomy groups revealed an incidence of fibrosis in 89.2 percent, 88.9 percent, and 87.7 percent of specimens, respectively. Edema was a frequent finding, but an active inflammatory response was seldom seen. The findings in this study indicate that because of a significant decrease in pillar pain, a flexor tenosynovectomy in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome would likely benefit workers who use the palm of the hand in heavy manual or highly repetitive work by allowing them to return to regular duty sooner.