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Long-Term Follow-Up Results of Mechanical Wrist Traction as Non-Invasive Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

ABSTRACT: Background: For patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), the only long-term effective treatment option is carpal tunnel release surgery. Up to one-third report recurrent symptoms, and 12% needs repeated surgery. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term effects of mechanical traction as a non-invasive treatment option for CTS compared to care as usual. Methods: Patients with electrodiagnostically confirmed CTS [N = 181; mean age, 58.1 (13.0) years; 67% women] were recruited from an outpatient neurology clinic in the Netherlands. Patients completed baseline questionnaires and randomized to the intervention group (12 treatments with mechanical traction, twice a week for 6 weeks) or care as usual. The primary clinical outcome measure was surgery during the 12-month follow-up. Secondly, we assessed symptom severity with the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) at baseline and at the 12-month follow-up. Changes in CTS symptom severity between baseline and the 12-month follow-up were analyzed between groups using t-tests and a multiple linear regression analyses, adjusting for duration of complaints, age, gender, and symptom severity at baseline. Results: At the 12-month follow-up, 35 of 94 (37%) patients in the intervention group had surgery, compared to 38 of 87 (44%) in the care-as-usual group ( χ12 = 0.78, p = 0.377). Symptom severity and functional status scores did not significantly differ between the intervention (n = 81) and care-as-usual group (n = 55) at follow-up. For patients who did not have surgery, BCTQ scores decreased significantly more from baseline to the 12-month follow-up in the intervention group (n = 53) compared to patients in the care-as-usual group (n = 25). For patients who did not have surgery, belonging to the intervention group and a higher BCTQ score at baseline were related to a greater decrease in BCTQ scores from baseline to the 12-month follow-up, as well as symptom severity and functional status. Conclusions: Mechanical traction is effective in reducing symptom severity compared to current conservative treatment options in standard care and can therefore benefit the large number of patients that prefer conservative treatment for CTS. Clinical Trial Registration: Clinical Trials NL44692.008.13. Registered 19 September 2013, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01949493.

SUBMITTER: Meems M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8450522 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:ImportanceLocal steroid injection is commonly used in treating patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome, but evidence regarding long-term efficacy is lacking.ObjectiveTo assess the long-term treatment effects of local steroid injection for carpal tunnel syndrome.Design, setting, and participantsThis exploratory 5-year extended follow-up of a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial was conducted from November 2008 to March 2012 at a university hospital orthopedic department. Participants included patients aged 22 to 69 years with primary idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome and no prior treatment with local steroid injections. Data were analyzed from May 2018 to August 2018.InterventionsPatients were randomized to injection of 80 mg methylprednisolone, 40 mg methylprednisolone, or saline.Main outcomes and measuresThe coprimary outcomes were the symptom severity score and rate of subsequent carpal tunnel release surgery on the study hand at 5 years. Secondary outcomes were time from injection to surgical treatment, SF-36 bodily pain score, and score on the 11-item disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand scale.ResultsA total of 111 participants (mean [SD] age at follow-up, 52.9 [11.6] years; 81 [73.0%] women and 30 [27.0%] men) were randomized, with 37 in the 80 mg methylprednisolone group, 37 in the 40 mg methylprednisolone group, and 37 in the saline placebo group. Complete 5-year follow-up data were obtained from all 111 participants with no dropouts (100% follow-up). At baseline, mean (SD) symptom severity scores were 2.93 (0.85) in the 80 mg methylprednisolone group, 3.13 (0.70) in the 40 mg methylprednisolone group, and 3.18 (0.75) in the placebo group, and at the 5-year follow up, mean (SD) symptom severity scores were 1.51 (0.66) in the 80 mg methylprednisolone group, 1.59 (0.63) in the 40 mg methylprednisolone group, and 1.67 (0.74) in the placebo group. Compared with placebo, there was no significant difference in mean change in symptom severity score from baseline to 5 years for the 80 mg methylprednisolone group (0.14 [95%CI, -0.17 to 0.45]) or the 40 mg methylprednisolone group (0.12 [95%CI, -0.19 to 0.43]). After injection, subsequent surgical treatment on the study hand was performed in 31 participants (83.8%) in the 80 mg methylprednisolone group, 34 participants (91.9%) in the 40 mg methylprednisolone group, and 36 participants (97.3%) in the placebo group; the number of participants who underwent surgical treatment between the 1-year and 5-year follow-ups was 4 participants (10.8%) in the 80 mg methylprednisolone group, 4 participants (10.8%) in the 40 mg methylprednisolone group, and 2 participants (5.4%) in the placebo group. All surgical procedures were conducted while participants and investigators were blinded to type of injection received. The mean (SD) time from injection to surgery was 180 (121) days in the 80 mg methylprednisolone group, 185 (125) days in the 40 mg methylprednisolone group, and 121 (88) days in the placebo group. Kaplan-Meier survival curves showed statistically significant difference in time to surgical treatment (log-rank test: 80 mg methylprednisolone vs placebo, P = .002 ; 40 mg methylprednisolone vs placebo, P = .02; methylprednisolone 80 mg vs 40 mg, P = .37).Conclusions and relevanceThese findings suggest that in idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome, local methylprednisolone injection resulted in statistically significant reduction in surgery rates and delay in need for surgery.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifiers: NCT00806871 and NCT02652390.

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Long-Term Follow-Up Results of Mechanical Wrist Traction as Non-Invasive Treatment for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

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