Quality of life and satisfaction in patients surgically treated for cubital tunnel syndrome

ABSTRACT

Objective

Cubital tunnel syndrome (CuTS) results from compression of the ulnar nerve at the elbow, resulting in pain, weakness, and numbness of the hand and forearm. This work describes the Quality of Life (QoL) and satisfaction after CuTS surgery and identifies the factors associated with those outcomes.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included patients surgically treated for CuTS from January 2011 to September 2021 at the Neurosurgery Clinic of the Clinic Center in Serbia. The questionnaires applied were the Short Form 36 (SF-36), EuroQol instrument (EQ-5D-5 L), Bishop’s score and Patient-Rated Ulnar Nerve Evaluation (PRUNE).

Results

Sixty-two patients met the inclusion criteria. Bishop’s score: The median score was 10 (7.75–11), 54.8% of the cases presented excellent results. PRUNE: The median score for symptoms was 19 (6–38.5); for functional, was 14 (0.75–38); and the total was 18.25 (5.87–34.12). SF-36: The subscale with the best result was social functioning (84.68 ± 22.79). The scale with the worst value was emotional well-being (49.35 ± 7.87). EQ-5D-5L: Over 50% patients did not present problems with mobility, self-care, activity, and anxiety. The average EQ-VAS was 72.77 ± 18.70; and 0.72 ± 0.21 of the EQ-index, revealing a good QoL. Models for QoL and satisfaction: Ten models showed statistical significance. The variables with major involvement were body mass index and time evolution of the symptoms.

Conclusion

Surgical decompression has proved to diminish the symptoms, improving QoL and satisfaction. Many fixed and changeable factors can affect the satisfaction levels after surgery.

KEYWORDS:

• Cubital tunnel syndrome
• quality of life
• patient satisfaction
• postsurgical
• disability

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

María Elena Córdoba-Mosqueda

María Elena Córdoba Mosqueda (MD, MPH), is a neurosurgeon who graduated from the Universidad Autónoma de México (UNAM). She studied a fellowship in Peripheral Nerve Surgery at the Clinic for Neurosurgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia. She has a master's in Public Health from the University of Belgrade. Collaborator and author of several publications in the neurosurgical field.

Lukas Rasulić

Prof. Dr. Lukas Rasulić (MD, PhD), is a professor of neurosurgery at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, and is Head of the Department of Peripheral Nerve Surgery, Functional Neurosurgery, and Pain Management Surgery, at the Clinic for Neurosurgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia. He is also President of the EANS 2022 Congress in Belgrade, President of the Serbian Neurosurgical Society, President of the Southeast Europe Neurosurgical Society, and Acting Chairman of the EANS Global and Humanitarian Neurosurgery Committee.

Andrija Savić

Andrija Savić (MD, PhD), is an attending neurosurgeon at the Clinic for Neurosurgery, University Clinical Center of Serbia, and an Assistant Professor at the Medical Faculty University of Belgrade, Serbia.

Jovan Grujić

Jovan Grujić (MD), is a senior year resident of neurosurgery, working at Clinic for Neurosurgery of the University Clinical Center of Serbia. His fields of interest are peripheral nerve surgery, spine surgery, and pain management.

Filip Vitošević

Filip Vitošević (MD, PhD) Radiology Specialist, with 10 years of clinical experience and references obtained from internationally renowned institutes and learning centers. Currently engaged with the University Clinical Centre of Serbia as an interventional neuroradiologist. He works closely with neurosurgery and neurology teams and tries to combine clinical practice and research with medical education to improve patient care. He is a highly collaborative neuroradiologist and a valuable contributor to medical research, with ongoing international scientific research projects and clinical studies. Committed to clinical care and advancement of neuro-interventional practices while supporting the development of junior colleagues.

Milan Lepić

Milan Lepić (MD, PhD), is an attending neurosurgeon at the Clinic for Neurosurgery, Military Medical Academy, and Assistant Research Professor at the Medical Faculty of the Military Medical Academy, the University of Defense in Belgrade, Serbia.

Aleksa Mićić

Aleksa Mićić, is final year student of medicine at the University of Belgrade, with 2 years of experience as an undergraduate research fellow at Clinic for Neurosurgery, University Clinical Centre of Serbia. He also has 7 years of experience as an associate at Petnica Science Center.

Stefan Radojević

Stefan Radojević (MD), is an intern at the University Clinical Centre of Serbia, with 2 years of experience as an undergraduate research fellow at Clinic for Neurosurgery, University Clinical Centre of Serbia.

Stefan Mandić-Rajčević

Stefan Mandić-Rajčević (MD, PhD), PhD in Public, Occupational, and Environmental Health from the University of Milan with over 10 years of experience in public health research and practice, focusing especially on risk communication, infodemic management, behavior insights, advocacy, study design, data collection, management, processing, analysis, and reporting. Since 2010, he has been working in a World Health Organization (WHO) collaborating center. He is a certified WHO Infodemic Manager, Castor Electronic Data Capture (EDC) for clinical trials Data Manager, and Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) Administrator of the Faculty of Medicine (University of Belgrade), and an expert in online and offline data collection tools, and open-source tools for reproducible research (R programming language and environment for statistical computing). He has published over 45 peer-reviewed scientific papers.

Ivana Jovanović

Ivana Jovanović (MD), is a neurosurgery resident in the Clinic of neurosurgery, Clinical center of Montenegro in Podgorica, Montenegro. She holds a special interest in neuro-oncology, peripheral nerve surgery, and pediatric neurosurgery.

Carlos Alberto Rodríguez-Aceves

Carlos Alberto Rodríguez-Aceves (MD), is a neurosurgeon at The American British Cowdray Medical Center in Mexico City, and Peripheral Nerve Surgeon at the Hospital de Clínicas at the Universidad de Buenos Aires. Member of the Peripheral Nerve Section at the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS), Peripheral Nerve Chapter at the Latin-American Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (FLANC), Peripheral Nerve Surgery Section at the Mexican Society of Neurological Surgery (SMCN). Has been Continental Vice-chairman and member of the Peripheral Nerve Committee at the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS), former president and current secretary of the Peripheral Nerve Chapter at the Latin-American Federation of Neurosurgical Societies, Former president, and founder of the Peripheral Nerve Surgery Section at the Mexican Society of Neurological Surgery.