Assessment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome by Shearwave Elastography

Treatment Monitoring of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Using Shear Wave Elastography: A Pilot in Vivo Study

This study is being done to test a new ultrasound method to detect possible stiffness problems within wrist(s). The purpose of this research is to the test the effectiveness of a new ultrasound method to check the nerve and surrounding tissue in both wrist of patient volunteers before and after treatment.

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: FDA approved ultrasound system with shear wave elastography capability

Detailed Description

The ultrasound system is FDA approved. The risks associated with this research study are not beyond the normal risk of conventional ultrasound and should not cause you any discomfort. Ultrasound at the intensity levels and duration used in this study has not been shown to present risk to humans. The investigators will conduct the SWE study on the set time point when the patient returns for follow-up after the therapy (surgical decompression or corticosteroid injection).

A set of pictures will be taken of patients wrists by the FDA approved ultrasound system. This system uses a special type of ultrasound for imaging your wrists.

The ultrasound study will be repeated after 3 and 6 months after the treatments.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Arizona
    • Scottsdale, Arizona, United States, 85259
      • Mayo Clinic in Arizona
  • Minnesota
    • Rochester, Minnesota, United States, 55905
      • Mayo Clinic in Rochester

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 100 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Male and female volunteers.
• Age ≥ 18 years old.
• Having unilateral symptom of wrist pain
• Scheduled for corticosteroid injection or surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

• Individuals less than 18 years of age.
• Prior surgery.
• People considered in "vulnerable" populations.
• Having bilateral symptoms

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Diagnostic
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Operative treatment (surgical decompression) for carpal tunnel syndrome; Shear wave elastography (SWE) will be used to assess the stiffness of tissue. Patients will be revaluated at 3 and 6 months post-operatively. Patient will sit done in a chair. The investigators will scan the wrist area of both arms to acquire SWE map. This imaging will be done before the treatment. We will repeat the imaging study at 3 and 6 months after the treatment. Each ultrasound imaging session will take about less than 10 min. The investigators do not expect any discomfort during the imaging.	Device: FDA approved ultrasound system with shear wave elastography capability; The investigators will acquire at least 4 acquisitions for each of 2 locations on the wrist. The objective is to correlate SWE measurements with patient-reported measures of symptom severity and functional status scores and severity of pre-operative electrodiagnostic tests (EDX). Evaluate the treatment response to surgical decompression or corticosteroid injection, using quantitative SWE and correlate the results to repeated patient reported outcomes with Boston CTQ, and objective clinical improvement with Semmes-Weinstein monofilament evaluation for recovery of sensibility, and grip and lateral pinch strength.
Experimental: Corticosteroid injection treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome; Shear wave elastography (SWE) will be used to assess the stiffness of tissue. Patients will be revaluated after 6 weeks following corticosteroid injection. Patient will sit done in a chair. The investigators will scan the wrist area of both arms to acquire SWE map. The investigators do not expect any discomfort during the imaging.	Device: FDA approved ultrasound system with shear wave elastography capability; The investigators will acquire at least 4 acquisitions for each of 2 locations on the wrist. The objective is to correlate SWE measurements with patient-reported measures of symptom severity and functional status scores and severity of pre-operative electrodiagnostic tests (EDX). Evaluate the treatment response to surgical decompression or corticosteroid injection, using quantitative SWE and correlate the results to repeated patient reported outcomes with Boston CTQ, and objective clinical improvement with Semmes-Weinstein monofilament evaluation for recovery of sensibility, and grip and lateral pinch strength.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Evaluate the treatment response by shear wave elastography (SWE)	Evaluate the treatment response to surgical decompression or corticosteroid injection, using quantitative SWE and correlate the results to repeated patient reported outcomes with Boston CTQ, and objective clinical improvement with Semmes-Weinstein monofilament evaluation for recovery of sensibility, and grip and lateral pinch strength.	First 3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Correlate shear wave elastography (SWE) measurements with patient-reported measures of symptom severity and functional status scores and severity of pre-operative electrodiagnostic tests (EDX) elasticity	Determine the severity and patient outcome scores in patients with symptoms of CTS and Correlate the symptom severity and functional status assessed by the Boston Carpal tunnel Questionnaire (CTQ)21 validated patient outcome scoring profile) in patients with diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome with SWE determined median nerve (MN) stiffness.	3 to 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Mayo Clinic
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Azra Alizad, MD, Mayo Clinic

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Mayo Clinic Clinical Trials

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 15, 2021
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 20, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 20, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 16, 2021
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 16, 2021
• First Posted (Actual): March 18, 2021

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): January 21, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 19, 2026
• Last Verified: January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Neuropathy; Demyelination; Shear Wave Elastography; Peripheral compression neuropathy
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nervous System Diseases; Wounds and Injuries; Neuromuscular Diseases; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases; Median Neuropathy; Mononeuropathies; Nerve Compression Syndromes; Cumulative Trauma Disorders; Sprains and Strains; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome; Demyelinating Diseases
• Other Study ID Numbers: 21-001106

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: Yes
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No