Abstract
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy and a frequent
cause of sick leave because of work-related hand overload. The main treatment is
operation. Aim: The aim of the study is to assess the usefulness of high frequency ultrasound
in the postoperative evaluation of CTS treatment efficacy. Material and methods:
Sixty-two patients (50 women and 12 men aged 28–70, mean age 55.2) underwent surgical
treatment of CTS. Ultrasound examinations of the wrist in all carpal tunnel sufferers
were performed 3 months after the procedure with the use of a high frequency broadband
linear array transducer (6–18 MHz, using 18 MHz band) of MyLab 70/Esaote. On the
basis of the collected data, the author has performed multiple analyses to confirm the
usefulness of ultrasound imaging for postoperative evaluation of CTS treatment efficacy.
Results: Among all 62 patients, 3 months after surgical median nerve decompression:
in 40 patients, CTS symptoms subsided completely, and sonographic evaluation did not
show median nerve entrapment signs; in 9 patients, CTS symptoms persisted or exacerbated,
and ultrasound proved nerve compression revealing preserved flexor retinaculum
fibers; in 13 patients, scar tissue symptoms occurred, and in 5 of them CTS did not
subside completely (although ultrasound showed no signs of compression). Conclusions:
Ultrasound imaging with the use of a high frequency transducer is a valuable diagnostic
tool for postoperative assessment of CTS treatment efficacy.
Citation
ID:
28181
Ref Key:
kapucinska2016efficacyjournal