Deze pagina is automatisch vertaald en de nauwkeurigheid van de vertaling kan niet worden gegarandeerd. Raadpleeg de Engelse versie voor een brontekst.

Finnish Carpal Tunnel Surgery Study (FINCATS)

1 juni 2026 bijgewerkt door: Susanna Stjernberg-Salmela, Helsinki University Central Hospital

Finnish Carpal Tunnel Study - a Randomised, Placebo-surgery Controlled Trial

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common condition caused by pressure from a ligament on a nerve in the wrist, leading to pain, numbness, and weakness in the hand. Surgery to cut the ligament is often recommended when non-surgical treatments do not provide sufficient symptom relief, but it is unclear how much of the improvement is due to the surgery itself versus natural recovery or placebo effects.

The FINCATS study will compare standard carpal tunnel surgery with a placebo procedure in which the ligament is not cut. Participants and the healthcare staff caring for them after the procedure will not know which procedure was performed. The study's main question is whether cutting the ligament provides greater symptom relief than a placebo procedure. In addition, eligible patients who are not willing to participate in randomized setting are invited to join a parallel observational group. Participants in this observational group are treated within usual care pathway.

Participants in both the randomized and observational group will be followed for five years to assess symptom improvement, hand function, pain, quality of life, and any side effects. The goal is to provide reliable evidence to help patients and doctors make informed decisions about treatment.

Studie Overzicht

Toestand

Werving

Conditie

Interventie / Behandeling

Studietype

Ingrijpend

Inschrijving (Geschat)

180

Fase

  • Niet toepasbaar

Contacten en locaties

In dit gedeelte vindt u de contactgegevens van degenen die het onderzoek uitvoeren en informatie over waar dit onderzoek wordt uitgevoerd.

Studiecontact

Studie Contact Back-up

Studie Locaties

Deelname Criteria

Onderzoekers zoeken naar mensen die aan een bepaalde beschrijving voldoen, de zogenaamde geschiktheidscriteria. Enkele voorbeelden van deze criteria zijn iemands algemene gezondheidstoestand of eerdere behandelingen.

Geschiktheidscriteria

Leeftijden die in aanmerking komen voor studie

  • Volwassen
  • Oudere volwassene

Accepteert gezonde vrijwilligers

Nee

Beschrijving

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18-75 years
  • Clinical manifestations of carpal tunnel syndrome: paresthesia and /or hypoesthesia in the distribution of the median nerve, possibly pain
  • Electrodiagnostically (ENMG or ENEG) verified compression of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel in the wrist, performed no more than a year before recruitment.
  • Duration of symptoms 3 months or longer
  • Patient living independently
  • Patient has not responded to the use of a resting splint supporting the wrist, nor to other possible conservative forms of treatment
  • Patient able and willing to give consent
  • The patient is willing to undergo surgical treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome.
  • The patient has access to a device that can be used to complete electronic symptom questionnaires.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Work disability
  • Clinical findings of Abductor Pollicis Brevis atrophy
  • Symptoms and Electrodiagnostic findings of some other peripheral neural entrapment than carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Rheumatoid arthritis or other forms of systemic inflammatory disease
  • Diagnosed dementia
  • Neurologic disorders affecting the function of the hand
  • Other untreated systemic disorders or diseases with poor therapeutic balance: hypertension, epilepsy, pulmonary or cardiac disease, liver or renal insufficiency, diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism, psychiatric disease
  • Other causes of pain and paresthesia in the hand
  • Previous trauma of the hand or wrist (e.g. distal radius fracture), which has resulted in compromised hand function
  • Previous carpal tunnel release in either hand
  • Previous nerve injury to the upper limb or cervical spine

Studie plan

Dit gedeelte bevat details van het studieplan, inclusief hoe de studie is opgezet en wat de studie meet.

Hoe is de studie opgezet?

Ontwerpdetails

  • Primair doel: Behandeling
  • Toewijzing: Gerandomiseerd
  • Interventioneel model: Parallelle opdracht
  • Masker: Verdrievoudigen

Wapens en interventies

Deelnemersgroep / Arm
Interventie / Behandeling
Experimenteel: Carpal tunnel release
Open carpal tunnel release: skin incision, division of the palmar aponeurosis, and transverse carpal ligament.
Procedure: Carpal tunnel release
Open carpal tunnel release: skin incision, division of the palmar aponeurosis, and transverse carpal ligament.
Placebo-vergelijker: Placebo surgery
Placebo surgery: Skin incision and division of palmar aponeurosis
Procedure: Placebo surgery
Skin incision and division of the palmar aponeurosis
Ander: Observational arm

Open carpal tunnel release: skin incision, division of the palmar aponeurosis, and division of the transverse carpal ligament.

Observational group: eligible participants included to assess potential selection bias.
Procedure: Carpal tunnel release
Open carpal tunnel release: skin incision, division of the palmar aponeurosis, and transverse carpal ligament.

Wat meet het onderzoek?

Primaire uitkomstmaten

Uitkomstmaat
Maatregel Beschrijving
Tijdsspanne
Patient acceptable symptom state (PASS)
Tijdsspanne: 4 months

PASS is used as a binary global outcome using the following question:

"Regarding your recovery from the carpal tunnel release, specifically pertaining to paresthesia, pain and overall function of the hand, would you be content if the clinical state of your hand would remain the same as it has been the past week?" Response options are: Yes, I would be content or No, I would not be content.
4 months

Secundaire uitkomstmaten

Uitkomstmaat
Maatregel Beschrijving
Tijdsspanne
Patient acceptable symptom state (PASS)
Tijdsspanne: 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years

PASS is used as a binary global outcome measure and will be assessed using the following question:

"Regarding your recovery from the carpal tunnel release, specifically pertaining to paresthesia, pain and overall function of the hand, would you be content if the clinical state of your hand would remain the same as it has been the past week?" Response options are: Yes, I would be content or No, I would not be content.
6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years
Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NRS)
Tijdsspanne: At recruitment, 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years
A patient-reported measure for pain intensity on an 11-point scale from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain).
At recruitment, 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years
Health-related quality of life (EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level (EQ-5D-5L) index value)
Tijdsspanne: At recruitment, 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years
EQ-5D-5L questionnaire, Finnish language version, using the Danish value set. Score ranges from values below 0 (health states considered worse than death) to 1.00 (full health), where higher scores indicate better health-related quality of life.
At recruitment, 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years
Harms
Tijdsspanne: Intervention (intra-operative), at 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years. In addition, unprompted contacts from participant
Harms and healthcare contacts related to the operated hand will be collected systematically and unprompted using a standardized electronic case report files (eCRF). Events will be classified by type (Adverse event, Serious Adverse Event, Suspected Unexpected Serious Adverse Reaction), attribution, timing, and nature.
Intervention (intra-operative), at 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years. In addition, unprompted contacts from participant
Global Impression of Improvement (PGI-I)
Tijdsspanne: 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years
A single-item patient-reported measure indicating overall perceived improvement since the start of treatment, rated on a 7-point scale from 1 (very much improved) to 7 (very much worse).
4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years
6-Item carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) symptoms scale
Tijdsspanne: At recruitment, 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years
The CTS-6 is a validated six-item patient-reported questionnaire used to assess the severity of carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms, including pain, numbness or tingling, and functional impairment, with scores ranging from 0 (least severe) and 26 (most severe). A score >12 correlates with an 80% probability of CTS.
At recruitment, 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years
Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS)
Tijdsspanne: At recruitment, 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years
The Patient-Specific Functional Scale (PSFS) is a patient-reported measure that assesses level of functional limitations in 3-5 activities identified as important by the patient and deemed difficult to perform by the patient, due to the hand condition. The PSFS is rated on an ordinal scale from 0 (unable to perform the activity) to 10 (able to perform the activity at the same level as before the disease.)
At recruitment, 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years
Health-related quality of life: EuroQol 5-Dimensions (EQ-5D) Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (EQ VAS) )
Tijdsspanne: At recruitment, 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years
EQ-5D is a generic patient rated outcome measure (PROM) comprising five health dimensions (mobility, self-care, daily activities, pain/discomfort, anxiety/depression) and a VAS. EQVAS is a vertical visual analogue scale, on which patients rate their general health on a scale from 0 (worst imaginable health state) to 100 (best imaginable health state).
At recruitment, 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years

Andere uitkomstmaten

Uitkomstmaat
Maatregel Beschrijving
Tijdsspanne
Pillar pain - interview
Tijdsspanne: At recruitment and 1 and 4 months after intervention.

Pillar pain will be assessed using two questions:

  1. Do you have pain at rest in the palm of your hand?
  2. Are you able to bear weight on your extended wrist and hand? Response options: Yes or No.
At recruitment and 1 and 4 months after intervention.
Pillar pain - pressure pain thresholds
Tijdsspanne: At recruitment and 1 and 4 months after intervention.
Pillar pain will be assessed through pressure pain thresholds on thenar and hypothenar eminences with a digital algometer
At recruitment and 1 and 4 months after intervention.
Pillar pain - palmar skin sensation
Tijdsspanne: At recruitment and 1 and 4 months after intervention.
Palmar skin sensation will be assessed at thenar and hypothenar eminences with a standard evaluation tool neuropen.
At recruitment and 1 and 4 months after intervention.
Blinding fidelity
Tijdsspanne: At 4 months after intervention.
Blinding fidelity will be assessed by asking participants which treatment group they believe they were allocated to. Response options will include "Carpal tunnel release," "Placebo intervention," or "Unsure."
At 4 months after intervention.
Conduction velocity
Tijdsspanne: At 4 months after intervention.
Nerve conduction velocities will be assessed in randomized participants using standard electroneurography techniques. Measurements will quantify median nerve function across the carpal tunnel to evaluate changes after intervention.
At 4 months after intervention.
Medication
Tijdsspanne: At recruitment, 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years
Need for medication due to pain. Response options: Every day, On most days of the week, 1-2 times a week, Rarely 5. Never
At recruitment, 4, 6 and 9 months and 1,2,3,4 and 5 years
Clinical examination
Tijdsspanne: At recruitment; at 4, and 12 months; and at 5 years after primary surgery.
Standard hand surgical clinical examination and provocation tests: Tinell, Tethro, Phalen and atrophy evaluation
At recruitment; at 4, and 12 months; and at 5 years after primary surgery.

Medewerkers en onderzoekers

Hier vindt u mensen en organisaties die betrokken zijn bij dit onderzoek.

Sponsor

Helsinki University Central Hospital

Onderzoekers

  • Studie directeur: Teppo LN Järvinen, Professor, Helsinki University Central Hospital

Studie record data

Deze datums volgen de voortgang van het onderzoeksdossier en de samenvatting van de ingediende resultaten bij ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieverslagen en gerapporteerde resultaten worden beoordeeld door de National Library of Medicine (NLM) om er zeker van te zijn dat ze voldoen aan specifieke kwaliteitscontrolenormen voordat ze op de openbare website worden geplaatst.

Bestudeer belangrijke data

Studie start (Geschat)

11 juni 2026

Primaire voltooiing (Geschat)

30 mei 2029

Studie voltooiing (Geschat)

31 december 2035

Studieregistratiedata

Eerst ingediend

21 mei 2026

Eerst ingediend dat voldeed aan de QC-criteria

21 mei 2026

Eerst geplaatst (Werkelijk)

29 mei 2026

Updates van studierecords

Laatste update geplaatst (Werkelijk)

3 juni 2026

Laatste update ingediend die voldeed aan QC-criteria

1 juni 2026

Laatst geverifieerd

1 juni 2026

Meer informatie

Termen gerelateerd aan deze studie

Trefwoorden

Aanvullende relevante MeSH-voorwaarden

Andere studie-ID-nummers

  • HUS/683/2025

Plan Individuele Deelnemersgegevens (IPD)

Bent u van plan om gegevens van individuele deelnemers (IPD) te delen?

JA

Beschrijving IPD-plan

All collected IPD provided that current legislation permits it.

IPD-tijdsbestek voor delen

After publication of main results, to be specified later

IPD-toegangscriteria voor delen

To be determined

IPD delen Ondersteunend informatietype

  • LEERPROTOCOOL
  • SAP
  • ICF
  • ANALYTIC_CODE

Informatie over medicijnen en apparaten, studiedocumenten

Bestudeert een door de Amerikaanse FDA gereguleerd geneesmiddel

Nee

Bestudeert een door de Amerikaanse FDA gereguleerd apparaatproduct

Nee

Deze informatie is zonder wijzigingen rechtstreeks van de website clinicaltrials.gov gehaald. Als u verzoeken heeft om uw onderzoeksgegevens te wijzigen, te verwijderen of bij te werken, neem dan contact op met register@clinicaltrials.gov. Zodra er een wijziging wordt doorgevoerd op clinicaltrials.gov, wordt deze ook automatisch bijgewerkt op onze website .

Abonneren