Multicenter Study Using Sonex Health Technology Cites Benefits of Ultrasound-Guided Carpal Tunnel Release
Carpal tunnel syndrome affects millions of people in the United States each year with an incidence of 1 in 20 individuals, often resulting in lost productivity. A recent study presented at the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) 2023 Annual Meeting suggests that real-time ultrasound-guided carpal tunnel release (CTR-US) by Sonex Health could significantly reduce recovery time and get patients back to work faster.
Carpal tunnel release surgery is typically an outpatient procedure. During carpal tunnel release surgery, a surgeon relieves pressure on the median nerve, which is compressed in the carpal tunnel of the wrist. This is typically achieved by making an incision in the palm of the hand and cutting through the carpal tunnel ligament. The surgery may involve a single incision on the palm side of the wrist or several small incisions, depending on the specific technique used by the surgeon.
The study analyzed data from 544 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome who underwent CTR-US using UltraGlideCTR, a modality by Sonex Health. These patients had been experiencing symptoms for an average of two years before treatment. Of the cohort, 76 percent were employed full-time, with 49 percent in desk-based work and 23 percent performing heavy manual labor. Moreover, 68 percent of patients had treatment on their dominant hand, and 20 percent underwent simultaneous bilateral carpal tunnel release.
The results were promising. The median time for patients to return to work after ultrasound-guided carpal tunnel release was just three days. Specifically, 57 percent of treated patients were back to work within three days, 74.6 percent within five days, and 87.8 percent within ten days. This study highlights that approximately three out of four patients who receive CTR-US can return to work within a standard workweek.
Lead study author Paul D. Paterson, M.D., noted, “Approximately 3 out of 4 patients treated with CTR-US can (return to work) within one standard workweek.”
Furthermore, the study found consistent median return-to-work times of two to four days across various patient subgroups, including women (who are more prone to carpal tunnel syndrome), heavy manual laborers, and those who had bilateral carpal tunnel release procedures.