Publications Repository - Gdańsk University of Technology

Introduction. Although a lot of studies have described long- term outcomes after surgical treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome, and the usefulness of sonography in diagnosing of this disorder, few studies have evaluated patients self-reporting outcomes or sonographic findings after surgery. Aim. We assessed patients self-reporting instruments and sonographic findings in patients with the cubital tunnel syndrome before and after a surgery. Materials and methods. Forty patients with moderate cubital tunnel syndrome admitted to an orthopedic department were included. Patients underwent an ultrasound examination, filled a DASH questionnaire before, three months and six months after the operation. They had also their symptoms rated with the VAS scale before and six months postoperatively. Patients with clinical signs of subluxation of the nerve during the operation were allocated to a “transposition” group. Patients without these signs had an in situ release. The statistical analyses were made using a nonparametric Friedman ANOVA test for DASH score and Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test for VAS scale. Results. After the in situ release, there was a higher difference in the cross-sectional area of the nerve three months after operations than in the cases with a subcutaneous transposition, respectively 10.9 mm2 and 12 mm2. Patients satisfaction measured with the DASH questionnaire and the VAS scale showed that there was a statistically significant improvement after both operations. Conclusions. According to our results, both methods help patients to relieve their symptoms, but after a simple decompression, recovery, measured with patients’ self-reporting instruments and with ultrasound examination, is faster.

Authors

• B. Igielska,
• Boguslaw Baczkowski,
• dr inż. Karol Flisikowski link open in new tab