A Clinical Analysis of the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

ABSTRACT

Authors reviewed 37 cases of 25 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome treated surgically at Department of Neurosurgery of Kyung Hee University Hospital from January 1981 to February 1992. The sex ratio was 1:24 showing female predominancy. Distribution of age ranged from 26 years to 65 years. Duration of symptoms ranged from 15 days to 20 years. Tinel's sign was positive in 24 patients ans 10 patients had muscle atrophy. Twelve patients were operated on both hands, 7 patients on the right and 6 patients on the left. Operations were performed under the general anesthesia in 4 patients, under the axillary block in 3 patients and under the local lidocaine infiltration in 18 patients. In postoperative periods, 5 patients experienced transient aggravation of numbness of fingers, 1 patient had wound problem, 1 patient hypalgesia and 1 patient transient motor weakness which was thought to be due to residual effect of axillary block. Surgical outcomes were good in 35 cases(94.6%), fair in 1 case(2.7%) and poor in 1 case(2.7%).