Ultrasound-Guided Dextrose Hydrodissection of the Median Nerve

January 28, 2026 updated by: Sevgi Esra Ozdemir Tekes, Dr. Nafiz Korez Sincan State Hospital

Ultrasound-Guided Nerve Hydrodissection With 5% Dextrose in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Prospective Study

The goal of this clinical trial is to evaluate the clinical and ultrasonographic outcomes of ultrasound-guided median nerve hydrodissection with 5% dextrose in patients with mild and moderate carpal tunnel syndrome.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Does ultrasound-guided dextrose hydrodissection improve pain and functional status in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome?
  • Does this procedure lead to changes in ultrasonographic parameters of the median nerve?
  • Is ultrasound-guided dextrose hydrodissection a safe procedure in this patient population?

Participants will:

  • Undergo a single session of ultrasound-guided median nerve hydrodissection with 5% dextrose
  • Be evaluated before the procedure and at 1-month and 3-month follow-up visits using clinical outcome measures and ultrasound assessment
  • Be monitored for any procedure-related adverse events

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy of the upper extremity and is caused by compression of the median nerve within the carpal tunnel. Conservative treatment options are commonly preferred in patients with mild to moderate CTS. Ultrasound-guided interventions have gained increasing attention due to their ability to provide real-time visualization of anatomical structures and improve procedural accuracy and safety.

Ultrasound-guided median nerve hydrodissection is a minimally invasive technique that aims to mechanically separate the median nerve from surrounding tissues within the carpal tunnel, potentially reducing nerve compression and improving nerve mobility. The use of 5% dextrose solution has been suggested to provide both mechanical and potential neuromodulatory effects, which may contribute to symptom relief.

In this prospective study, patients diagnosed with mild and moderate CTS undergo ultrasound-guided median nerve hydrodissection using 5% dextrose. All procedures are performed under aseptic conditions by experienced physicians trained in ultrasound-guided interventions. A high-frequency linear ultrasound transducer is used to visualize the median nerve and surrounding anatomical structures at the level of the carpal tunnel. Hydrodissection is performed using an in-plane technique, which allows for continuous visualization of the needle and injectate during the procedure.

Participants receive a single-session ultrasound-guided hydrodissection, during which the injectate is administered to separate the median nerve from adjacent connective tissues. The procedure is conducted according to a standardized protocol to ensure consistency across all participants.

Clinical and ultrasonographic assessments are performed at baseline, and at 1-month and 3-month follow-up visits after the ultrasound-guided injection. Patients are monitored for any procedure-related adverse events throughout the study period. The study aims to evaluate changes in clinical symptoms and ultrasound findings following the intervention, as well as to assess the safety profile of ultrasound-guided dextrose hydrodissection in patients with mild and moderate CTS.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

37

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Ankara
      • Ankara, Ankara, Turkey (Türkiye), 06340
        • Dr. Nafiz Korez Sincan State Hospital

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

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age between 18 and 65 years
  • Electrophysiologically confirmed mild to moderate CTS on electroneuromyography (ENMG)
  • Paresthesia or dysesthesia that worsens at night or with repetitive wrist movement

  • Presence of at least one of the following clinical findings:

    1. Numbness in the median nerve distribution
    2. Decreased hand strength or thenar muscle weakness
    3. Positive Phalen's test and/or Tinel's sign
  • Pain intensity of ≥3 on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Previous carpal tunnel surgery
  • Severe CTS on ENMG
  • Polyneuropathy
  • Pregnancy
  • Injections in the same area within the last 3 months
  • Peripheral nerve injury, thoracic outlet syndrome, cervical radiculopathy, brachial plexopathy
  • Traumatic hand injury in the last 2 years
  • Inflammatory rheumatological disease
  • Thyroid and autoimmune disease

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: N/A
  • Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Ultrasound-Guided Dextrose Median Nerve Hydrodissection
Participants in this arm undergo a single session of ultrasound-guided median nerve hydrodissection using 5% dextrose solution. The procedure is performed under aseptic conditions with real-time ultrasound guidance to visualize the median nerve and surrounding anatomical structures within the carpal tunnel. The injectate is administered to mechanically separate the median nerve from adjacent tissues.
Procedure: Ultrasound-Guided Median Nerve Hydrodissection with 5% Dextrose
This intervention consists of a single-session ultrasound-guided hydrodissection of the median nerve using 5% dextrose solution in patients with mild and moderate carpal tunnel syndrome. The procedure is performed under aseptic conditions by trained physicians using a high-frequency linear ultrasound transducer. Real-time in-plane imaging is used to visualize the median nerve and surrounding structures, and the injectate is administered via an ulnar approach to mechanically separate the median nerve from adjacent connective tissues within the carpal tunnel. Participants are monitored for any procedure-related adverse events during and after the intervention.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in Visual Analog Scale
Time Frame: Baseline, 1 month and 3 months
The severity of pain in the fingers over the past week was measured using a 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS) ranging from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain).
Baseline, 1 month and 3 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in median nerve cross-sectional area
Time Frame: Baseline, 1 month and 3 months
The cross-sectional area (CSA) of the median nerve was evaluated using ultrasonography by measuring the nerve at the thickest visible level within the carpal tunnel.
Baseline, 1 month and 3 months
Change in Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire
Time Frame: Baseline, 1 month and 3 months
The Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) consists of two subscales: the Symptom Severity Scale (11 items), which assesses the intensity of CTS-related symptoms, and the Functional Status Scale (8 items), which evaluates the degree of difficulty in performing daily activities. Each item is scored on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater symptom severity in the Symptom Severity Scale and greater functional impairment in the Functional Status Scale.
Baseline, 1 month and 3 months
Change in Vascularity Index of the Median Nerve
Time Frame: Baseline, 1 month and 3 months
The Vascularity Index (VI) is a quantitative ultrasonographic measure of intraneural microvascularity of the median nerve. The VI is calculated as a percentage value ranging from 0 to 100, representing the proportion of pixels containing vascular signals within a predefined rectangular region of interest (ROI). Higher VI values indicate increased intraneural microvascularity and represent a worse disease-related finding.
Baseline, 1 month and 3 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Dr. Nafiz Korez Sincan State Hospital

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Suheyla Dal Erdogan, Medical Doctor, Dr. Nafiz Korez Sincan State Hospital
  • Principal Investigator: Sevgi Esra Ozdemir Tekes, Dr. Nafiz Korez Sincan State Hospital

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 (Actual)

June 17, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

June 26, 2025

Study Completion (Actual)

June 26, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 19, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 19, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

January 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 30, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 28, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2024-KAEK-09

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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