Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Open Carpal Tunnel Release

Abstract

The carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common entrapment neuropathy. Release of the flexor retinaculum to decompress the median nerve is the most common surgical procedure in the hand, and the numbers continue to rise. Though the procedure is generally associated with low morbidity and relatively high success rates, failure of the surgeon to fully understand the anatomy, pathophysiology, and typical features of carpal tunnel syndrome, as well as the many pitfalls associated with its diagnosis and treatment, may lead to an unacceptable incidence of suboptimal results. The gold standard surgical treatment, transecting the transverse carpal ligament (TCL) with a scalpel under direct vision produces reliable symptom relief in the vast majority of cases. However, despite the clinical success of this technique, post-operative scar discomfort are known to occur in some patient. With the rising incidence of this problem, great effort has been directed to defining a less invasive surgery that would satisfactorily decompress the nerve but allow a speedier recovery and return to work. Thus, there have been evolved various offshoot types of carpal tunnel release: endoscopic and mini open. Each method generally yields very satisfactory results. However, without care, there may be more surgical complications, and we may not have effectively shortened the return to work time. With careful attention to detail during the procedure, however, mini open carpal tunnel release can provide a safe, effective, and minimally invasive method for accomplishing this frequent task. (J Kor Neurotraumatol Soc 2008;4:1-7)