Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Surgery Anti-Adhesion Gel Is Effective?

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Surgical Innovation
• Medical Device Efficacy

Background:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common condition often treated surgically.
• Mini incision open surgery is a common surgical approach for CTS.
• Adhesion formation can complicate surgical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of anti-adhesion gel in improving symptom severity and functional outcomes in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) undergoing mini incision open surgery.
• To assess the impact of hyaluronic acid-carboxymethylcellulose anti-adhesion gel on postoperative results in CTS patients.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 200 patients with CTS who underwent mini incision open surgery.
• Patients were divided into two groups: one receiving local anti-adhesion gel (hyaluronic acid-carboxymethylcellulose) and a control group without the gel.
• Outcomes were assessed using the Boston questionnaire (BQ) at various postoperative time points, including 1-year follow-up.

Main Results:

• No significant differences were observed between the anti-adhesion gel group and the control group regarding mean age, gender distribution, or preoperative/postoperative Boston questionnaire scores.
• Postoperative functional outcomes and symptom severity, as measured by the Boston questionnaire, showed no significant improvement with the use of anti-adhesion gel at the 1-year follow-up.
• The presence of the disease on the left or right side did not influence the comparative outcomes between the groups.

Conclusions:

• The local application of anti-adhesion gel during mini incision open surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) did not demonstrate significant benefits for functional or symptomatic outcomes.
• Larger, controlled trials are recommended to further investigate the potential role of anti-adhesive materials in CTS surgical treatment.
• Current evidence suggests that anti-adhesion gel may not be a clinically advantageous adjunct for this specific surgical procedure.