Outcome after carpal tunnel release: impact of factors related to metabolic syndrome

Abstract

Objective: The standard surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), with an open carpal tunnel release, is reported to relieve symptoms in most patients. In a retrospective observational study, outcome after open carpal tunnel release was evaluated, focusing on factors related to the metabolic syndrome: diabetes, hypertension, obesity (BMI ≥30) and statin treatment.

Methods: Results from 493 out of 962 patients (531/1044 hands) operated for CTS during 18 months that had filled in QuickDASH questionnaires before and 1-year after surgery were included in the study.

Results: Patients with diabetes (n = 76) had higher QuickDASH scores pre- (56 [36–77]; i.e. median [interquartile range]) and postoperatively (31 [9–61]) compared to patients without diabetes (48 [32–66]; p < 0.05 and 16 [5–43]; p < 0.001), but the change in total score was equal. A higher proportion of patients with diabetes had a postoperative score of >10 (74% vs 61%; p < 0.05). The odds of having a change in QuickDASH score <8 was 2.6-times higher in patients with polyneuropathy than in patients without polyneuropathy. Patients with hypertension, obesity, or statin treatment had a similar improvement after surgery as patients without these factors.

Conclusions: Patients with diabetes without neuropathy, as well as patients with hypertension, obesity or statin treatment, and CTS can expect the same effects of open carpal tunnel release as otherwise healthy patients. Patients with diabetic neuropathy and CTS did not experience the same improvement as otherwise healthy patients and should be informed about the risk of an unsatisfactory outcome.

Keywords:

• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• diabetic neuropathy
• hypertension
• metabolic syndrome
• obesity
• open carpal tunnel release
• statins

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflicts of interest The project was supported by grants from the Swedish Research Council (Medicine), Stiftelsen Svenska Diabetesförbundets forskningsfond, Diabetesföreningen Malmö med omnejd, Swedish Society for Medicine, Lund University, Region Skåne and Funds from the Skåne University Hospital Malmö, Sweden.