The Effectiveness of Ultrasound-Guided Steroid Injection Combined with Miniscalpel-Needle Release in the Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome vs. Steroid Injection Alone: A Randomized Controlled Study

OBJECTIVES: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is one of the most common nerve entrapment syndromes, which has a serious impact on patients' work and life. The most effective conservative treatment is steroid injection but its long-term efficacy is still not satisfactory. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of steroid injection combined with miniscalpel-needle (MSN) release for treatment of CTS under ultrasound guidance versus steroid injection alone. We hypothesized that combined therapy could be more beneficial. METHODS: Fifty-one patients with CTS were randomly allocated into two groups, namely, steroid injection combined with MSN release group and steroid injection group. The therapeutic effectiveness was evaluated using Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ), cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve, and four electrophysiological parameters, including distal motor latency (DML), compound muscle action potential (CMAP), sensory nerve action potential (SNAP), and sensory nerve conduction velocity (SNCV) at baseline, 4 and 12 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: Compared with baseline, all the parameters in both groups showed statistically significant improvement at week 4 and week 12 follow-up, respectively (P<0.05). When compared with steroid injection group, the outcomes including BCTQ, DML, CMAP, SNCV, and CSA of the median nerve were significantly better in steroid injection combined with MSN release group at week 12 after treatment (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The effectiveness of steroid injection combined with MSN release for CTS is superior to that of steroid injection alone, which may have important implications for future clinical practice. This Chinese clinical trial is registered with ChiCTR1800014530.