Six Months Postoperative Outcomes of Carpal Tunnel Release Using a Short Palmar Incision in Lampang Hospital
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2010-02-18
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The Thai Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery
Abstract
Carpal tunnel release is one of the most commonly performed procedures of outpatient surgery in Lampang Hospital. The author studied 42 consecutive patients who underwent a short palmar incision for carpal tunnel release between January and June 2006 in Lampang Hospital. Only 35 patients (40 hands) were included. All operations were carried out under local anesthesia and without tourniquet. The patients were evaluated before and 6 months after surgery using subjective symptoms, physical examination findings and the Boston carpal tunnel questionnaires(BCTQ). The results showed that all symptoms and BCTQ scores decreased significantly (p \< 0.001). Night pain and day pain disappeared in all patients. Numbness was improved with a less score than other symptoms. Tinel’s sign and Phalen’s test were decreased postoperatively(p \< 0.001). The thenar wasting was improved in some patients but no statistical significance was found (p = 0.25). The scar tenderness was found in 3 patients at 6 months follow-up. However, pillar pain occurred in the early postoperative period and completely resolved in 6 months. The average operation time was 10.8 minutes. The average incision length was 15.4 mm. There were no serious complications. In conclusion, carpal tunnel release with a short palmar incision is a simple procedure with no need for specialized instrument. It can be effectively and safely used for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.
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The Thai Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery; Volume 31 Number 2 September 2006; 63 - 69