Comparison of Long-term Outcomes Following Endoscopic or Open Surgery for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

May 5, 2015 updated by: Region Skane

Endoscopic Versus Open Carpal Tunnel Release: 10 to 15 Years Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial

No randomized trials have compared long-term outcomes following endoscopic and open carpal tunnel release in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The investigators conducted a single-center randomized controlled trial between January 1998 and December 2002, including 128 patients (25 to 60 years) with clinically diagnosed and electrophysiologically confirmed idiopathic CTS. The outcome measures included the validated CTS symptom severity and functional status scales completed at baseline and 1 year postoperatively. The trial showed that the 1-year outcomes of open and endoscopic carpal tunnel release regarding symptoms and function were equivalent. This extended follow-up of the randomized trial will primarily measure the symptom outcomes at 10-15 years after surgery. A questionnaire will be sent by mail to the patients. The questionnaire will consist of the CTS symptom severity and functional status scales, the 6-item CTS symptoms scale (CTS-6), the 11-item disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (QuickDASH), the 2-item palmar pain scale, and a visual analog scale about treatment satisfaction. The patients will also be asked about whether they had undergone further surgery for CTS in the same or contralateral hand after their operation in the randomized trial. The completed questionnaires will be scanned into a database. The scores for the different scales will be calculated. Analysis will include comparison between the open and endoscopic groups as well as within-group changes of scores from 1 year to 10-15 years.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Completed

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
124

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

25 years to 60 years (Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Description

Inclusion Criteria (original trial):

  • Primary idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome
  • age 25-60 years
  • currently employed
  • duration of symptoms of at least three months
  • inadequate response to six weeks' treatment with wrist splint
  • symptoms of classic or probable carpal tunnel syndrome according to the diagnostic criteria in the Katz hand diagram, and nerve conduction test showing median neuropathy at the wrist (distal motor latency ≥4.5 milliseconds, wrist-digit sensory latency ≥3.5 milliseconds, or sensory conduction velocity at the carpal tunnel segment <40 metres/second but no other abnormalities.

Exclusion Criteria (original trial):

Inflammatory joint disease

  • diabetes mellitus, thyroid disorder, pregnancy, trauma to the affected hand during the preceding year
  • previous carpal tunnel release surgery in the affected hand
  • carpal tunnel release surgery in the contralateral hand during the preceding year
  • symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome in the contralateral hand not adequately relieved by splint at the time of enrollment
  • current sick leave because of disorders other than carpal tunnel syndrome
  • inability to complete questionnaires because of language problem or cognitive disorder.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: Open surgery
Open surgery is Open carpal tunnel release
Procedure: Open surgery
Open carpal tunnel release using conventional open technique under local anesthesia and tourniquet. The incision in the open procedure extended from about 1 cm proximal to 3 cm distal to the wrist crease. The transverse carpal ligament was divided; no additional procedures were performed. a soft dressing was applied. Dressing and sutures were removed 10 days postoperatively.
Other Names:
  • Open carpal tunnel release surgery
Experimental: Endoscopic surgery
Endoscopic surgery is 2-portal endoscopic carpal tunnel release
Procedure: Endoscopic surgery
Surgery dwas done under local anesthesia injected at the portal sites only. Tourniquet was used. Each of the two skin incisions in the endoscopic procedure was 1 cm long. With the endoscope inserted from the distal portal and a hook knife inserted from the proximal portal, the transverse carpal ligament was divided from its distal edge to its proximal edge. Incisions were closed with non-absorbables sutures and a soft dressing was applied. Sutures were removed 10 days postoperatively.
Other Names:
  • Endoscopic carpal tunnel release surgery

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Change in CTS symptom severity score
Time Frame: Baseline to 10-15 years postoperatively
Baseline to 10-15 years postoperatively

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Rate of repeat surgery
Time Frame: 10-15 years postoperatively
10-15 years postoperatively
Change in CTS functional status score
Time Frame: from baseline and 1 year to 10-15 years postoperatively
from baseline and 1 year to 10-15 years postoperatively
Residual pain in the scar or proximal palm
Time Frame: 10-15 years postoperatively
10-15 years postoperatively
Patient satisfaction with the results of surgery
Time Frame: 10-15 years postoperatively
10-15 years postoperatively
Change in CTS symptom severity score
Time Frame: 1 year to 10-15 years postoperatively
1 year to 10-15 years postoperatively

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Time Frame
CTS-6 score
Time Frame: 10-15 years postoperatively
10-15 years postoperatively
QuickDASH score
Time Frame: 10-15 years postoperatively
10-15 years postoperatively

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Region Skane

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Isam Atroshi, MD, PhD, Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Sweden

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
September 1, 2013

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
November 1, 2014

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
January 1, 2015

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
June 24, 2013

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
June 25, 2013

First Posted (Estimate)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
June 26, 2013

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
May 6, 2015

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 5, 2015

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
May 1, 2015

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HLM-CTSRCT-2

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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