Pre- and postoperative electromyographic evaluations in the carpal tunnel syndrome

1971 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 314-319 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reinhold E. Schlagenhauff ◽  
Franz E. Glasauer

✓ Twenty-five cases of carpal tunnel syndrome in 20 patients were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively by electromyography. Clinical improvement resulted in all cases following decompression of the median nerve, and only in a few instances did mild symptoms persist. Distal motor conduction time improved postoperatively in 24 cases studied, 19 of which returned to normal range. Most of the obvious improvement occurred within the first 3 months, and further improvement could be observed as late as 36 months. Although no definite correlation could be established between the preoperative severity of the carpal tunnel syndrome and the postoperative clinical and electrical improvement, there was a definite evidence of better recovery in the younger age group. There was a greater range of improvement and a return closer to normal postoperatively in cases with severe preoperative distal latency. All cases examined after 24 months had reached normal values.

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (01) ◽  
pp. 11-17
Author(s):  
Andrzej Zyluk ◽  
Paulina Zyluk-Gadowska ◽  
Lukasz Kolodziej ◽  
Zbigniew Szlosser

Abstract Purpose Outcomes of surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome may differ in relation to certain factors like age, duration of symptoms, clinical and electrophysiological severity. The objective of this study was an investigation into the hypothesis that several factors are predictive of results of surgical treatment of the condition. Methods The pre- and postoperative records of 1,117 patients: 909 women (81 %) and 208 men (19 %) with a mean age of 63 years were analysed. Outcomes recorded in the sensory and functional severity scores of the Levine questionnaire were dichotomized into achieving or not-achieving a minimally clinically important difference. The effect of selected variables: sex, age, duration of symptoms, clinical and electrophysiological severity of and presence of comorbidities on outcomes of surgery at 6 months was investigated. Results Univariate and multivariate analysis of covariates based on sex, age, duration of the disease and its clinical severity showed female gender and worse baseline symptom severity scores to be significant predictors for an improvement following carpal tunnel syndrome surgery. It showed also younger age, shorter duration of symptoms and higher baseline symptom severity scores to be predictive of a greater improvement of total grip strength, and younger age to be predictive of a greater pain cessation following surgery. Conclusion Of all considered patient’s and disease related factors, the baseline clinical severity expressed in the Levine symptom severity scores had appeared to be the strongest predictor of better outcomes of surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome.


2010 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 403-405 ◽  
Author(s):  
BO Povlsen

INTRODUCTION Carpal tunnel syndrome has been reported by some to have a less satisfactory outcome in older patients following surgery. However, this impression is not supported by other investigators but no objective explanation has been suggested for these differences. In our department, such patients are routinely treated with night wrist splints and, if this is unsatisfactory, they are investigated with nerve conduction studies prior to surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS This paper reports the neurophysiological outcome in a young (< 40 years of age) and an older (> 60 years of age) group of patients with clinical bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome who did not benefit from splints. RESULTS The results showed that both the motor and sensory conduction speeds are significantly lower in the older age group. More importantly in the older group, half had one or more hands where the sensory conduction was absent. In four out of these 10 patients this finding was bilateral and three patients had unilateral absent motor conduction. In the younger group, no patient had absent conduction. CONCLUSIONS Poor surgical outcome in some older patients may be because of irreversibly damaged nerves prior to surgery and pre-operative neurophysiology is, therefore, recommended both for clinical and medicolegal reasons.


1978 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 316-318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noel Eboh ◽  
Donald H. Wilson

✓ The authors describe a modified technique for surgery of the carpal tunnel. The primary cause of the carpal tunnel syndrome is the same as other entrapment neuropathies: an enlarged nerve within a tight tunnel. Electrical studies have shown that the area of compression is in the middle of the tunnel. Treatment is surgical: a palmar incision, which begins at the wrist medial to the palmaris longus, to avoid damage to the sensory branch of the median nerve; and section of the retinaculum from the exit of the tunnel toward the entrance.


2002 ◽  
Vol 97 (2) ◽  
pp. 471-473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henrich Kele ◽  
Raphaela Verheggen ◽  
Carl Detlev Reimers

✓ The rare case of a patient with carpal tunnel syndrome caused by thrombosis of a persistent median artery is presented. Progressive pain in the wrist and dysesthesias in the third and fourth fingers were the atypical complaints. High-resolution ultrasonography revealed a bifid median nerve that was compressed by an occluded median artery. The intraoperative findings are described, and emphasis is placed on the importance of using high-resolution ultrasonography for presurgical diagnosis.


2020 ◽  
Vol 185 (9-10) ◽  
pp. e1506-e1509
Author(s):  
J Banks Deal ◽  
Anthony J Magee

Abstract Introduction The incidence of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is increased in occupations exposed to repetitive motion, poor wrist posture, and vibration exposure. While all pilots are exposed to these factors, helicopter pilots are especially exposed to vibration. The study is to identify the incidence and risk factors for CTS in military aviators. Materials and Methods Clearance was obtained from Tripler Army Medical Center IRB. The Defense Medical Epidemiological Database was queried for all new cases of CTS from 2006 to 2015. Incidence rates (IRs) were determined for helicopter pilots, fixed-wing pilots, and nonpilot officers. Poisson regression analysis was used to calculate adjusted IR in order to control for demographic factors. Race was also taken into account, where pilots would classify themselves into a white or non-white race, defined by each individual. Race was assessed in the study to see if there were any differences in IR of CTS between white and non-white pilots. Results We identified 7,398 new cases of CTS among 2,319,352 person-years within the study period. Increasing age, female gender, and non-white race were significantly correlated with higher IR. Fixed-wing pilots demonstrated significantly lower adjusted IR than nonpilot officers in each age group. Helicopter pilots demonstrated higher IR than fixed-wing pilots in each age group. Helicopter pilots had lower incidence of CTS early in their career compared to nonpilot officers, but by age 40+, their IR ratio was significantly higher (1.21). Conclusion Analysis of the database indicates that fixed-wing pilot status is a protective factor against development of CTS among U.S. military officers. In contrast, helicopter pilots were found to be at an increased rate of CTS than their fixed-wing counterparts. Their incidence is comparable to their nonpilot officer peers early in their career, but is significantly increased at the senior level. Increasing age and female gender are risk factors in the military officer population as expected. Non-white race was found to increase risk in the military population, in contrast to reports of the civilian population.


1998 ◽  
Vol 88 (5) ◽  
pp. 817-826 ◽  
Author(s):  
David F. Jimenez ◽  
Scott R. Gibbs ◽  
Adam T. Clapper

Object. The goal of this paper is to present a critical review of the endoscopic procedures currently in use for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome. Endoscopic techniques and outcomes are discussed. Methods. An extensive review of published articles on the subject of endoscopic carpal tunnel release surgery is presented, encompassing six endoscopic techniques used to treat carpal tunnel syndrome. Since the first report in 1987, 7091 patients have undergone 8068 operations. The overall success rate has been 96.52%, with a complication rate of 2.67% and a failure rate of 2.61%. The mean time to return to work in patients not receiving Workers' Compensation was 17.8 days, ranging between 10.8 and 22.3 days. The most common complications were transient paresthesias of the ulnar and median nerves. Other complications included superficial palmar arch injuries, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, flexor tendon lacerations, and incomplete transverse carpal ligament division. In many studies in which open and endoscopic techniques were compared, it was reported that patients in the the latter group experienced significantly less pain and returned to work and activities of daily living earlier. Conclusions. Success and complication rates of endoscopic carpal tunnel release surgery are similar to those for standard open procedures.


1973 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 774-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
John A. Maxwell ◽  
John J. Kepes ◽  
Lynn D. Ketchum

✓ A rare case of thrombosis of a persistent median artery as a cause of acute carpal tunnel syndrome is reported. The sudden onset of pain, local tenderness of the palm, and decreased sensation in the median nerve distribution were the symptoms. The operative findings and subsequent progress are described.


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