Hyun Sik Gong, Joo Han Oh, Sung Woo Bin, Woo Sung Kim, Moon Sang Chung and Goo Hyun Baek
This study analyzed several clinical features of carpal tunnel syndrome to identify potential prognostic factors influencing a patient-based outcome assessment after carpal tunnel release. 102 hands of 64 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome using the Boston self-assessment questionnaire preoperatively and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postoperatively were evaluated. The clinical findings evaluated as prognostic indicators were paresthesia, cold intolerance, subjective weakness, nocturnal pain, thenar atrophy, Tinel sign, Phalen test, and electrophysiologic grades.
The overall symptom and functional scales of the self-assessment questionnaire demonstrated a significant improvement at 3 months after surgery, but no significant further improvement was observed thereafter. Patients with nocturnal pain, patients without subjective weakness, and patients without cold intolerance demonstrated more improvement of the scores in the bivariate analysis.This information may be used in preoperative consultation regarding the outcome of surgery from the patient's perspective.
The Journal of Hand Surgery, 2008, 33(9), 1512-1517