Use of diffusion tensor imaging for nonsurgical treatments of carpal tunnel syndrome.

INTRODUCTION This study evaluated the applicability of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of therapeutic ultrasound (US) and wrist splints in addition to clinical and electrophysiological assessments of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). METHODS This prospective study analyzed 41 patients (30 women, 11 men; 56 wrists) with CTS. Therapeutic US and wrist splints were performed for 3 and 4 weeks, respectively. Fractional anisotropy and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were evaluated in addition to a visual analog scale (VAS), symptom severity scale (SSS), functional status scale (FSS), and electrodiagnostic studies (EDX) before and after treatment. RESULTS There were significant decreases in the mean ADC, VAS, SSS, FSS, and EDX after treatment. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that DTI parameters provide helpful information that complements clinical and electrophysiological assessments for evaluating the efficacy of nonsurgical treatment of patients with CTS.