This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Decompression of the cubital tunnel adequate for treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
Ulnar nerve decompression, anterior subcutaneous transpositions and anterior submuscular transpositions are equally effective in the treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome, according to results of a study presented here at the 15th EFORT Congress – a combined programme in partnership with the BOA.
“Choosing a surgical treatment has been as much a matter of personal choice as it has been based on scientific knowledge. As seen in previously published data, most comparative studies demonstrate equivalent results in outcomes with any particular technique. Taking this into account, we should chose the simplest technique to treat these patients,” André Sá Rodrigues, MD, said.
André Sá Rodrigues
In the retrospective study, the researchers collected data of patients diagnosed with idiopathic cubital tunnel syndrome who had surgery between January 2005 and December 2010. Overall, 34 patients underwent surgical treatment, with 8 patients having ulnar nerve decompression, 18 patients having anterior subcutaneous transpositions and 8 patients having anterior submuscular transpositions. Average age was 48 years and 56% of the patients were female. In 53% of cases, the affected side was the left, the right side for 41% of patients and 6% of the patients had bilateral cubital tunnel syndrome. The dominant limb was affected for 45% of patients. Minimum follow-up was 1 year.
Postoperative results were excellent in 66.7% of patients, good for 16.7% of patients, fair in 10% of patients and poor for 6.7% of patients. Researchers concluded no significant differences between the three groups. The results were excellent or good in 62.5% of patients treated with anterior submuscular transposition, in 85.7% of patients treated with anterior subcutaneous transposition, and in all the patients treated with ulnar nerve decompression. However, they found decompression of the ulnar nerve was less harmful and better preserved blood flow. In most cases, the simpler surgical decompression of the cubital tunnel is adequate, he said.
Rodrigues said obesity negatively influenced the postoperative results of cubital tunnel syndrome. Disease severity, age, gender, lesion side and dominant side did not change the effectiveness of the surgical treatment.
Reference:
Sá Rodrigues A. Paper #3725. Presented at: The 15th EFORT Congress – A combined programme in partnership with the BOA. 4-6 June 2014; London.
Source info:
André Sá Rodrigues, MD, is from the Hospital São João in Porto, Portugal. He can be reached at andresrodrigues@gmail.com.
Disclosure:
Rodrigues has no relevant financial disclosures.