Carpal tunnel release and the metabolic syndrome

What is it about?

This study is about nerve compressions that are treated surgically - and if metabolic factors such as diabetes and overweight can affect how successful the treatment is. The most common nerve compression is when the nerve traveling from the spinal cord to the hand gets trapped in the wrist. This produces sensory loss, tingling and weakness in the affected hand and is called carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Diabetes is a risk factor for developing CTS. We wanted to find out if diabetes also is a risk factor for less symptom relief after treatment. We found that people with diabetes who had diabetes-related nerve damage as well as CTS had a higher risk of persistent symptoms after surgery.

Featured Image

Why is it important?

This study provides a piece in understanding which patients that will benefit from surgery and which patients that are better helped with conservative treatment.