Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
Metacarpal Small Incision for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Published on: April 5, 2024
Longitudinal Changes in Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Carpal Tunnel Release: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Kosuke Saito1, Mitsuhiro Okada1, Shunpei Hama2
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka Metropolitan University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Purpose:
Although carpal tunnel release (CTR) is a common procedure for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), few studies define the postoperative recovery timeline for CTR. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the timing to achieve a clinically meaningful improvement and the timing for reaching a plateau in improvement in patient-reported outcome measurements (PROMs) after CTR for CTS. Second, we compared the improvement trend in PROMs with that of nerve conduction studies.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective study of patients who underwent CTR for CTS. This study included 82 patients. We collected PROMs, including Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand and the Symptom Severity Scale and Functional Status Scale of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire, at the following intervals: preoperative baseline and at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months after surgery. We evaluated trends in the improvements in PROMs to determine the period for achieving a clinically meaningful recovery and the recovery plateau. Additionally, we performed nerve conduction studies at 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months.
Results:
Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand, Symptom Severity Scale, and Functional Status Scale scores improved more than the minimum clinically important differences 6-9 months after CTR. These scores reached a recovery plateau approximately 12-14 months after CTR. The distal latency of sensory nerve action potential and compound muscle action potential reached a plateau at approximately 18 months after surgery.
Conclusions:
The scores improved more than the minimum clinically important differences at 6-9 months after CTR and plateaued at 12-14 months in PROMs. The improvement plateau of nerve conduction studies is delayed compared with PROMs. These findings can assist in counseling patients about expected recovery patterns. Postoperative electrodiagnostic testing should not be performed because electrophysiological recovery is delayed compared to clinical improvement.
Type Of Study/Level Of Evidence:
Therapeutic Ⅳ.
