Comparison of Clinical Results by Various Approach in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Purpose: To examine the effect of diverse incision techniques in carpal tunnel decompression on patients’ postoperative pain and degree of satisfaction. Materials and Methods: This study concerned 134 cases of 97 patients who were diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome from January 2010 to May 2012 and underwent carpal tunnel decompression surgery at our hospital. The average follow-up period was 16 months (from 12 months to three years). We compared traditional, minimally invasive, endoscopic carpal tunnel decompression surgery. The subject’s palmar pain, cosmetic satisfaction, and Boston carpal tunnel questionnaire result when they visited our hospital prior to the operation, three months postoperatively, six months postoperatively, and one year postoperatively were used for the assessment of the surgery outcome. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used for patients’ subjective evaluation of palmar pain around their scar. Using Boston carpal tunnel questionnaire, symptom severity and functional status scores were evaluated separately. Results: Palmar pain of those who underwent traditional carpal tunnel release significantly increased three months postoperatively compared to those who received the other methods (P=0.39), but there was no difference in palmar pain among the different surgical techniques in the later followup period. (P=0.69) Cosmetic satisfaction was gradually improved postoperatively. Cosmetic satisfaction tended to be low in the subjects who received traditional carpal tunnel release but the differences were not significant. (P=0.73) According to the Boston carpal tunnel questionnaire result, symptom severity scale and functional status scale were no significant differences among the three groups. (P=0.55, P=0.62). Conclusion: It is considered that there are no great differences in palmar pain, cosmetic satisfaction, and Boston carpal tunnel questionnaire scores among patients who underwent different surgical techniques for carpal tunnel syndrome in long-term follow-up.