Relation of preoperative nerve-conduction values to outcome in workers with surgically treated carpal tunnel syndrome

Time course and predictors of median nerve conduction after carpal tunnel release

“…The present work builds on several prior reports of median nerve electrophysiology after carpal tunnel release. [15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24] In this study the majority of the electrophysiologic improvement was realized by 6 weeks, which is similar to the findings of Pascoe and colleagues, 38 with maximal DML improvement occurring by 3 months. In concordance with several prior studies 23,33,39,40 the postrelease DML reduction was highly dependent on the prerelease DML with the largest improvement occurring in hands with prerelease values over 6 ms and minimal or no improvement in hands with near-normal DMLs (ie, Ͻ4 ms).…”

“…Several other studies have also investigated changes in median nerve DML immediately after carpal ligament release. 3,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] In 1 such study 39 the median nerve DML improved in the majority of hands, although several deteriorated. The dependence of short-term DML immediate postsurgical changes on surgical and anesthetic details makes a comparison of these results difficult.…”

“…3,[15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][25] Our study evaluates prospectively electrophysiologic parameters using the automated nerve conduction system in patients with CTS both before and after endoscopic carpal tunnel release (ECTR) surgery. We then looked at various characteristics of the patients in an attempt to identify predictors of positive electrophysiologic outcome and to map out the time course of recovery.…”

Carpal tunnel syndrome with normal nerve conduction studies

“…Some surgical outcome studies that include NCSnegative patients failed to provide a breakdown of outcome by NCS result. 26 At least two studies have suggested that, in patients with normal NCS results, surgical treatment may lead to unfavorable outcomes, 2,12 and a recent report indicated that surgical outcome is more favorable in patients with longer preoperative median latencies. 6 In summary, we found that NCS results provide independent information not fully predictable from clinical variables alone.…”

Work-Related Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

“…Although some evidence is conflicted, it has been suggested that patients who have undergone carpal tunnel surgery with normal or near-normal presurgical nerve conduction test results have poorer outcomes than those with electrodiagnostic evidence of median nerve entrapment across the carpal tunnel. 24,25 In rare cases, a steroid injection can be administered into the carpal canal as a therapeutic and diagnostic challenge test. Patients noting a dramatic improvement in symptoms for weeks or months after the injection, but then having recurrence of symptoms, may be considered candidates for surgical CTR.…”