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Observational Study
. 2025 Mar;50(3):344-351.
doi: 10.1177/17531934241275487. Epub 2024 Sep 13.

Changes in hand function and health state utility after cubital tunnel release using the United Kingdom Hand Registry

Joris S Teunissen  1   2 , Timothy T Griffiths  3   4 , Brigitte E P A van der Heijden  1   5 , Ryckie G Wade  3   4 , Jennifer C E Lane  6 , Steven E R Hovius  1 , Grainne Bourke  3   4 , Fadi Issa  2 , Jeremy N Rodrigues  7   8 , Conrad J Harrison  6 ; The BSSH UK Hand Registry
Collaborators, Affiliations
Observational Study

Changes in hand function and health state utility after cubital tunnel release using the United Kingdom Hand Registry

Joris S Teunissen et al. J Hand Surg Eur Vol. 2025 Mar.

Abstract

This study aimed to analyse and contrast changes in health-related quality of life (HR-QoL) and hand symptoms in the first 6 months after surgical treatment for primary cubital tunnel syndrome. Data originated from the United Kingdom Hand Registry. HR-QoL was assessed using the generic EuroQol five-dimensional assessment tool (EQ-5D-5L) and hand symptoms using the Patient Evaluation Measure (PEM). In total, 281 patients were included in the statistical analysis. Cubital tunnel release resulted in clinically relevant relief of hand symptoms. However, no improvement in HR-QoL was detected by the EQ-5D-5L. As a result, current health economic models, such as those used by the National Institute for Health Care Excellence (NICE) in the UK, might conclude that cubital tunnel release is not cost-effective. This discrepancy requires exploration, and hand-specific preference-based measures might be needed for value-based healthcare in hand surgery.Level of evidence: III.

Keywords: Patient-reported outcome measures; cubital tunnel syndrome; outcome measurement; patient evaluation measure; quality of life; surgical procedures.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest concerning the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow chart of the study.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Adjusted marginalized means (with 95% confidence intervals) of the EQ-5D-5L utility index before cubital tunnel release and at 2 and 6 months postoperatively.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Adjusted marginalized means (with 95% confidence intervals) of the PEM score before cubital tunnel release and at 2 and 6 months postoperatively.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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