Sonoelastic response of median nerve to rehabilitation in carpal tunnel syndrome.

Abstract

Aim of the studyTo evaluate the sonoelastic response of the median nerve in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome following conservative rehabilitation with splint plus exercise regimens.Materials and methodsA total of thirty-five patients diagnosed with mild carpal tunnel syndrome and treated with splint plus exercise therapy; hand resting splint all day for 3 weeks and then only at nights along with nerve gliding exercises in 10 repetitions 3 times a day. The median nerve was evaluated clinically prior to the treatment and at week 6 of therapy using physical examination, electrodiagnostic neurophysiology tests and radiological imaging; Boston Scores, electromyogram, ultrasonography and sonoelastography.ResultsFollowing the 6-week treatment protocol on 35 subjects with mild carpal tunnel syndrome, sonoelastography showed significantly softer median nerve, while the traditional parameters based on Boston Scores and cross-sectional area based on ultrasonography remained nearly unresponsive. Such early indication of biomechanical changes in the nerve may be of clinical importance if it can offer a prognostic value of the applied treatment, while tissue softening suggests the alleviation of nerve compression.ConclusionsSonoelasticity of the median nerve can serve as a reliable marker for assessing therapeutic changes in median nerve stiffness and potentially the outcome early on in mild carpal tunnel syndrome.