Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Apr 1;6(3):349-354.
doi: 10.1016/j.jhsg.2024.02.004. eCollection 2024 May.

Clinical Results of Carpal Tunnel Release Using Ultrasound Guidance in Over 100 Patients at Two to Six Years

Logan C Cano  1 , Braeden M Leiby  1 , Laura C Shum  2 , Meliza G Ward  2 , Anthony E Joseph  1   3   4
Affiliations

Clinical Results of Carpal Tunnel Release Using Ultrasound Guidance in Over 100 Patients at Two to Six Years

Logan C Cano et al. J Hand Surg Glob Online. .

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical results of carpal tunnel release using ultrasound guidance (CTR-US) at a minimum of 2 years postprocedure.

Methods: The study consisted of 102 patients (162 hands) treated with CTR-US by the same physician between June 2017 and October 2020 for whom minimum 2-year follow-up data were available. Questionnaires were sent to gather long-term information, with additional phone calls for clarification if needed. Outcomes included Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire symptom severity (BCTQ-SSS) and functional status (BCTQ-FSS) scores; Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (QuickDASH) scores; global satisfaction scores; and subsequent surgeries.

Results: The 102 patients included 68 females and 34 males with a mean age of 56.9 years at the time of surgery. Fifty-five (53.9%) patients had simultaneous bilateral procedures, 42 (41.2%) had unilateral procedures, and 5 (4.9%) had staged bilateral procedures. Significant improvements in BCTQ-SSS, BCTQ-FSS, and QuickDASH scores persisted at a mean final follow-up of 46 months (range 2-6 years). At final follow-up, 91.2% of patients reported satisfaction with the procedure. No outcomes were significantly different between those treated with simultaneous bilateral versus unilateral procedures. No revision surgeries were reported.

Conclusions: CTR-US is a safe and effective procedure that results in significant improvements that persist up to 6 years postprocedure. Long-term results of simultaneous bilateral and unilateral procedures are similar.

Type of study/level of evidence: Therapeutic IV.

Keywords: CTR-US; Carpal tunnel release; Carpal tunnel syndrome; Minimally invasive surgery; Ultrasound.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

No benefits in any form have been received or will be received related directly to this article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flowchart showing patient selection and data availability. CTS, carpal tunnel syndrome; CSA, cross-sectional area; CTR-US, CTR using ultrasound guidance.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Carpal tunnel release with ultrasound guidance. A Transverse view of the distal carpal tunnel (left = ulnar) showing the blade tip of the device superior to the transverse carpal ligament (TCL, asterisks) and between the ulnar artery (UA) and the median nerve (MN). The balloons were deployed to create space and separate the MN from the centrally located blade. B Longitudinal view (left = distal) showing the device directly under the TCL with the cutting blade visible and engaged to transect the TCL. Thm, thenar muscles.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean BCTQ scores ± SEM over time post-CTR-US. Improvements in BCTQ-SSS and BCTQ-FSS scores are maintained through a mean follow-up of 46 months (2–6 years). ∗P < .0001 compared with preoperative baseline score. See Methods for sample size at each timepoint.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Mean QuickDASH ± SEM over time post-CTR-US. Improvements in QuickDASH scores are maintained through a mean follow-up of 46 months (2–6 years). ∗P < .0001 compared with preoperative baseline score. See Methods for sample size at each timepoint.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Atroshi I., Englund M., Turkiewicz A., Tagil M., Petersson I.F. Incidence of physician-diagnosed carpal tunnel syndrome in the general population. Arch Intern Med. 2011;171(10):943–944. - PubMed
    1. Atroshi I., Gummesson C., Johnsson R., Ornstein E., Ranstam J., Rosen I. Prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome in a general population. JAMA. 1999;282(2):153–158. - PubMed
    1. Luckhaupt S.E., Dahlhamer J.M., Ward B.W., Sweeney M.H., Sestito J.P., Calvert G.M. Prevalence and work-relatedness of carpal tunnel syndrome in the working population, United States, 2010 National Health Interview Survey. Am J Ind Med. 2013;56(6):615–624. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Dale A.M., Harris-Adamson C., Rempel D., et al. Prevalence and incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome in US working populations: pooled analysis of six prospective studies. Scand J Work Environ Health. 2013;39(5):495–505. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Sevy JO, Sina RE, Varacallo M. Carpal tunnel syndrome. [Updated 2023 Oct 29]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. 2023. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK448179/ - PubMed