Warm or refrigerated local anaesthetic for open carpal tunnel release: a single blind randomized controlled study

2009 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 232-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Tomlinson ◽  
J. Field

The aim of this randomized controlled study was to determine whether administration of lignocaine with adrenaline is less painful when injected at room temperature compared to refrigerated temperature. A cohort of 50 patients undergoing unilateral carpal tunnel decompression was randomized to room temperature or refrigerated local anaesthetic. Pain scores were assessed using a 10 mm visual analogue scale. Mean pain scores were 4.0 (SD ± 1.5) for room temperature and 6.5 (SD ± 1.7) for refrigerated local anaesthetic ( P < 0.001). This study demonstrates that patients experience greater pain levels with administration of local anaesthetic at refrigerated temperatures prior to open carpal tunnel release.

Hand Surgery ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (01) ◽  
pp. 45-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. H. Chan ◽  
V. Balakrishnan ◽  
A. McDonald

Open carpal tunnel release is commonly performed under local anaesthesia. No study has compared intra-operative short- versus long-acting local anaesthetics as preemptive analgesics in carpal tunnel surgery. In this single-blinded prospective study, 100 consecutive carpal tunnel releases were performed by a single surgeon at one institution with either lignocaine (n = 50) or ropivacaine (n = 50). Allocation was performed via the method of alternation. Subjects were given a questionnaire to answer the following: (1) time to first incidence of pain, (2) quality of first night's sleep, and (3) mean numerical pain scores in the first 24 hours. The time to the first postoperative pain was significantly shorter in the lignocaine group (5.58 vs. 9.17 hours, p < 0.035). There were no significant difference in the incidence of poor first night's sleep (16% vs. 26%, p = 0.28) or mean pain scores in the first day (3.6 vs. 2.9, p = 0.16). Existing evidence advocates for long-acting intraoperative local anaesthetic because it results in a longer duration of postoperative analgesia, however, our study suggests that it may also result in a poorer first night's sleep.


2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (8) ◽  
pp. 808-812 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hafiz J. Iqbal ◽  
Ashtin Doorgakant ◽  
Nader N. T. Rehmatullah ◽  
Ashok L. Ramavath ◽  
Prasad Pidikiti ◽  
...  

We conducted a prospective randomized controlled trial to investigate carpal tunnel decompression under local anaesthesia. Carpal tunnel decompression was performed in 37 wrists using local anaesthesia and an arm tourniquet and 36 without tourniquet but with a local anaesthetic mixture containing adrenaline. Patients who underwent carpal tunnel decompression using a tourniquet experienced a significantly greater degree of pain when compared with those who did not have a tourniquet. Pain and hand function improved to a similar degree in both groups. We conclude that carpal tunnel decompression performed with a tourniquet causes patients unnecessary pain with no additional benefit as compared with the wide-awake carpal tunnel decompression without use of a tourniquet. Level of evidence: I


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-50
Author(s):  
Gunnvald Kvarstein ◽  
Henrik Högström ◽  
Sara Maria Allen ◽  
Jan Henrik Rosland

AbstractBackground and aimsCervicogenic headache (CEH) is a debilitating condition and analgesics have limited effect. Percutaneous cryoneurolysis is thus still in use although the clinical evidence is lacking. We present a randomized, controlled study to assess the clinical efficacy of cryoneurolysis compared with a corticosteroid combined with a local anaesthetic.MethodsIn a university-based outpatient pain clinic we performed a randomized, double blinded, comparative study with an 18-week follow-up. After positive diagnostic test blocks 52 eligible patients were randomly allocated in a ratio of 3:2, 31 participants to occipital cryoneurolysis and 21 participants to injections of 1 mL methylprednisolone 40 mg/mL (Depo-Medrol®) combined with 1 mL bupivacaine 5 mg/mL.ResultsWe observed a significant pain reduction of more than 50% in both treatment groups, slightly improved neck function and reduced number of opioid consumers. After 6–7-weeks, however, pain intensity increased gradually, but did not reach baseline within 18 weeks. Although cryoneurolysis provided a more prolonged effect, the group differences did not reach statistical significance. Health related quality of life and psychological distress improved minimally. A large number reported minor and transient side effects, but we found no significant group differences. After 18 weeks, 29% rated the headache as much improved, and 12 (24%) somewhat improved, but a large proportion (78%) reported need for further intervention/treatment.ConclusionsCryoneurolysis provided substantial, but temporary pain relief, and the effect was not significantly different from injections of a corticosteroid combined with a local anaesthetic. Participants were selected by a single test block, and the neurolytic procedure was guided by anatomical landmarks and nerve stimulation. A stricter patient selection and an ultrasound-guided technique might have improved the results. Cryoneurolysis provides temporary pain relief not significantly superior to corticosteroid injection, and the results question the value of occipital cryoneurolysis for a chronic pain condition like CEH.ImplicationsOccipital cryoneurolysis may be considered when non-invasive treatments appear insufficient, but only for patients who have responded substantially to test blocks. A risk of local scar and neuroma formation by repeated cryoneurolysis, leading to neuropathic pain has been discussed by other researchers.


2002 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 462-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. M. LAWRENCE ◽  
V. V. DESAI

This randomized, double-blinded study assessed the effectiveness of a topical anaesthetic, eutectic mixture of local anaesthetics (EMLA), in reducing pain associated with carpal tunnel release performed under local anaesthetic. Fifty-six patients undergoing carpal tunnel release under local anaesthetic were randomized into either EMLA ( n=29) or placebo ( n=27) groups. Visual analogue pain scores were obtained for needle insertion, injection of anaesthetic and surgery itself. Pain scores were significantly less for needle insertion ( P=0.001) and injection of anaesthetic ( P=0.0005). Scores related to surgery were also lower in the EMLA group, but this did not reach statistical significance.


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