Comparing the Outcomes of Minimal Incision and Double Incision in Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background and purpose: Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most prevalent neuropathy caused by trapping and median nerve compression in the wrist. This study aimed at comparing the effects of minimal incision and double incision in treatment of patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Materials and methods: This randomized controlled trial was performed in 50 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome attending Shahid Beheshti and Ayatollah Rouhani hospitals in Babol, Iran, candidates for surgery. The patients were divided into two groups using random number table to have either minimal incision (n=25) or double incision (n=25). All patients completed the Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire (BCTQ) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) before and three months after the surgery. Results: The patients included 40 (80%) males and 10 (20%) females. The mean age of the patients was 51.78±8.22 years old. The mean scores for paresthesia, numbness, pain, weakness, nighttime symptoms and functional status (according to BCTQ), and also mean VAS score significantly reduced after the intervention in both groups (P<0.001). The mean scores for these parameters were not significantly different between the two groups neither before nor after the treatment. Conclusion: The results of treatment with minimal incision and double incision were not different, but minimal incision is suggested as a selective therapeutic approach due to smaller cut.   (Clinical Trials Registry Number: IRCT20160508027797N5)