The role of epineurotomy in the operative treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.

We conducted a prospective, randomized study to evaluate the effect of epineurotomy on the outcome of operative treatment of established median-nerve compression in the carpal canal. Fifty hands (forty-four patients) were randomized into two groups: one group had a release of the transverse carpal ligament alone, and the other had a release and adjuvant epineurotomy of the median nerve. The groups were similar with regard to age, gender, duration of symptoms, and preoperative physical findings. All patients had electrophysiological evidence of sensory delays and fibrillations on preoperative testing. All of the operative procedures were performed by the same surgeon. The patients were evaluated preoperatively and at one year postoperatively. The follow-up examination revealed no detectable differences between the two groups with regard to symptoms, objective findings, or electrophysiological findings. This suggests that epineurotomy of the median nerve offers no benefit compared with sectioning of the transverse carpal ligament alone.

Conservative open anterior acromioplasty.

The records of 29 consecutive patients treated by a pure, open, anterior acromioplasty were reviewed retrospectively. Excluded from consideration were patients with the following pathologic diagnoses or histories: (1) previously attempted acromioplasty on the same shoulder; (2) intraoperatively confirmed rotator cuff tear; (3) any surgically treatable biceps tendon or acromioclavicular abnormality; (4) lost to follow-up study. Three different techniques were employed to perform the acromioplasties. The first technique required partial deltoid origin detachment with an osteotome. The second technique spared the deltoid origin, while again using an osteotome to perform the acromioplasty. The third technique also spared the deltoid origin but used a high-speed burr to perform the acromioplasty. Evaluated in terms of patient satisfaction, residual pain, length of convalescence, suboptimal results, and complications, the first technique proved to be the least effective. The second technique produced early, excellent results. The third technique, in which a burr was employed through an intact deltoid origin, was most effective; technically, the method was also relatively simple and reliable.