Disclosures: Kaivalya S. Deshpande, MD: No financial relationships or conflicts of interest
Objective: The goal of this review is to assess the clinical effectiveness and safety of ultrasound guided carpal tunnel release (UGCTR) by reviewing patient cases within the current literature.
Design: A comprehensive literature review looking at the efficacy of UGCTR using the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) and QuickDASH. An electronic search was performed using Medline (PubMed) and Cochrane databases. Works cited lists were then searched and cross-referenced. Studies were selected to identify articles on ultrasound-guided or percutaneous carpal tunnel release using the BCTQ or QuickDASH as endpoint measures at defined short-term and long-term intervals post-procedure. Setting : Outpatient rehabilitation, sports, and orthopedic centers. Participants : 527 patients were accounted for in the included studies that underwent UGCTR as a treatment for CTS.
Interventions: The primary intervention used in all cases was the UGCTR procedure.
Main Outcome Measures: BCTQ and QuickDASH were the main outcome measures. To determine significance of outcome scores, the minimally clinically important difference (MCID) in BCTQ as shown in the literature was set to 1.14 for symptoms, and 0.74 for function. Similarly for QuickDASH, the MCID used was a 16 point change in score.
Results: 31 studies were identified with 21 studies excluded because they did not meet criteria. Of the included papers, there were 5 prospective studies, and 5 randomized controlled trials. All studies showed clinically significant changes in BCTQ and QuickDASH scores in the short term (1 month or less) and long term (3 months or greater) after UGCTR. Conclusions: UGCTR has not been as thoroughly studied as the other forms of CTR surgery. UGCTR in the studies highlighted in this review had both statistically and clinically significant effects for symptom and function improvement. Overall adverse effects reported were minimal with expedited post procedure recovery time. While this is promising, studies with larger samples directly comparing with the current standard of care are needed.
Level of Evidence: Level V
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Deshpande KS, Roehmer CW, Raum GM, Eubanks JE, Lueders D. The Efficacy of Ultrasound Guided Carpal Tunnel Release for Improving Function: A Literature Review [abstract]. PM R. 2020; 12(S1)(suppl 1). https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/the-efficacy-of-ultrasound-guided-carpal-tunnel-release-for-improving-function-a-literature-review/. Accessed May 16, 2025.« Back to AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2020
PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/the-efficacy-of-ultrasound-guided-carpal-tunnel-release-for-improving-function-a-literature-review/