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Ultrasound-guided Carpal Tunnel Release

February 19, 2016

Contributors: Alvaro Iborra, DPM; Homid Fahandez-Saddi, MD; Manuel Villanueva, MD, PhD; Manuel Villanueva, MD, PhD

Approximately 1 million adults in the United States develop carpal tunnel syndrome each year. Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most common surgically-treated entrapment neuropathy. Carpal tunnel release is the most frequent surgical procedure performed in the hand and wrist, with approximately 500,000 procedures performed in the United States each year. Endoscopic or ultrasonographic-guided techniques have progressively decreased surgical approaches. Ultrasonographic-guided carpal tunnel release can be performed via an anterograde or retrograde approach with various instruments. This video demonstrates ultrasonographic-guided carpal tunnel release to speed up a surgeon's learning curve. Ultrasonographic-guided carpal tunnel release is safe, helpful, and successful. It is performed with the use of local anesthesia, without ischemia, and in an outpatient setting. The use of high-resolution devices improves accuracy and may help prevent complications. The concept of ultra-minimally invasive surgery involves more than the size of the incision. It may prevent pain and excessive bleeding, decrease complications and contraindications, and improve recovery.