Hand Function Outcome After the Application of Transfer Energy Capacitive and Resistive on Post-burn Patients Presented With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

June 16, 2026 updated by: Ahmed Abdelnaser Mohamed Mohamed Youness, Cairo University

EFFECT OF TRANSFER ENERGY CAPACITIVE AND RESISTIVE ON CARPAL TUNNEL SYNDROME POST BURN

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a common entrapment neuropathy that can develop as a secondary complication following deep burns involving the hand or wrist. Post-burn CTS arises due to factors such as fibrosis, edema, and scar contracture, which may increase pressure on the median nerve within the carpal tunnel, leading to significant pain, sensory disturbances, and impaired hand function Recent studies support the effectiveness of Transfer Energy Capacitive and Resistive (TECAR ) therapy in idiopathic CTS, showing improvements in pain, symptom severity, and function, as measured by validated tools such as the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS).

A study reported that both TECAR and ultrasound groups showed significant symptom improvement after treatment, although ultrasound had more sustained effects on median nerve cross-sectional area at 3 months

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study will involve 52 patients diagnosed with CTS post-burn; they will receive TECAR as an intervention. The outcome measures include ( VAS, Arabic version of Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire, and Camry Digital Handgrip Dynamometer

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

52

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 Contact

  • Name: Ahmed abdelnasr Mohamed Youness, Demonstrator (TA)
  • Phone Number: +2001553712231
  • Email: pt.ahmed.mido@gmail.com

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • Egypt
    • Mansoura
      • Al Mansurah, Mansoura, Egypt, 35511
        • QWAM physio clinic
        • Contact:

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

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Participant is between 20 and 40 years of age.
  • Diagnosed with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).
  • History of an upper limb burn, with the percentage of the Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) ranging from 20% to 25%.
  • Upper limb burn is diagnosed as a 2nd or 3rd-degree burn complicated with carpal tunnel syndrome.
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis is clinically confirmed using physical examination, including a positive Tinel's sign and positive Phalen's test.
  • Participant provides written informed consent before enrollment.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of double crush syndrome, cervical radiculopathy, or fibromyalgia.
  • History of wrist fracture or distal radius fracture.
  • Diagnosis of systemic or local diseases that contribute to peripheral neuropathy, including Diabetes Mellitus or rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  • Diagnosis of hypothyroidism, skin diseases, or peripheral vascular diseases.
  • Current or past history of cancer.
  • Use of a hand or wrist splint within the past three months.
  • Presence of an implanted pacemaker or electrical prosthesis.

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: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: The Treatment Group
Participants in this group will receive TECAR therapy at a frequency of 0.5 MHz and intensity of 30 to 50% and medium Capacitive Energy Transfer electrode (60 mm), 5 min capacitive (CAP) and 10 min resistive (RES), three sessions per week for two weeks plus standard post-burn hand rehabilitation
Device: Transfer Energy Capacitive and Resistive (TECAR) [ SMART TECAR }
TECAR therapy at a frequency of 0.5 MHz and intensity of 30 to 50% and medium Capacitive Energy Transfer electrode (60 mm), 5 min capacitive (CAP) and 10 min resistive (RES), The passive electrode was fixed to the dorsum of the hand while the active electrode was moved in a circular manner from the proximal carpal tunnel to the median nerve pathway of the palm in three sessions per week for two weeks
Other: Standard Hand Rehabilitation [ US }
US using a 3 MHz probe at a dose of 1.5 watts/cm2 for 5 min intermittently for 2 weeks, 5 times a week, plus mobility and strengthening exercises
Active Comparator: The Control Group
Participants in this arm will receive standard post-burn hand rehabilitation (e.g., Exercise, stretch, and US)
Other: Standard Hand Rehabilitation [ US }
US using a 3 MHz probe at a dose of 1.5 watts/cm2 for 5 min intermittently for 2 weeks, 5 times a week, plus mobility and strengthening exercises

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Symptom Severity
Time Frame: Baseline and 2 weeks
The Arabic version of the BCTQ-SSS will be used to self-report symptom severity. It consists of 11 items assessing pain, numbness, paresthesia, weakness, and nocturnal symptoms. Each item is scored from 1 (never/none) to 5 (most severe). The overall score is calculated as the mean of the items, ranging from 1 to 5, where higher scores indicate worse symptom severity.
Baseline and 2 weeks
Functional Status
Time Frame: Baseline and 2 weeks.
The Arabic version of the BCTQ-FSS will be used to evaluate hand function across 8 common activities. Each activity is scored from 1 (no difficulty) to 5 (cannot perform the activity at all). The total score is the mean of the items, ranging from 1 to 5, where higher scores represent greater functional impairment.
Baseline and 2 weeks.
Grip Strength
Time Frame: Baseline and 2 weeks.
Objective hand function and force production of the median nerve-innervated muscles will be measured using a Camry Digital Handgrip Dynamometer. Measurements are recorded in kilograms (kg), up to a maximum strength of 90 kg. Higher scores indicate greater hand grip strength.
Baseline and 2 weeks.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain Intensity
Time Frame: Baseline and 2 weeks.
Pain intensity will be measured using the Arabic version of the VAS, where patients mark their current pain level on a 10-cm line. The scale ranges from 0 cm ("no pain") to 10 cm ("worst pain"). Higher scores represent greater pain severity.
Baseline and 2 weeks.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Cairo University

Investigators

  • Study Director: Wafaa Hussien Borhan, Professor, Cairo University
  • Study Director: Ashraf Alsibai Mohamed, Professor, Cairo University

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 (Estimated)

June 16, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

October 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

June 16, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 16, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

June 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

June 22, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 16, 2026

Last Verified

June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • TECAR on post burn CTS

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

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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