Each year, in France, just over 130,000 people are operated on for carpal tunnel syndrome, a disabling condition that affects the hands and wrists.
- Carpal tunnel syndrome is a musculoskeletal disorder.
- It is one of the most common occupational diseases in most European countries, the United States and Canada.
According to a new JAMA studythe local injection of steroids to fight against carpal tunnel syndrome avoids having surgery afterwards.
Lack of data
Carpal tunnel syndrome refers to all of these symptoms: tingling, sensory disturbances and decreased strength, located in the first 3 fingers of the hand. They are due to compression of the median nerve as it passes through the carpal tunnel at the wrist. “Local steroid injection is commonly used in the treatment of patients with idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome, but evidence regarding the effectiveness of this long-term care is lacking,” explain the researchers in the preamble.
To overcome this lack of data, the scientists formed a cohort of 111 adults suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome. A first group received a local injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone, a second a local injection of 40 mg of methylprednisolone and a third a placebo. The health journey of all participants was then tracked for 5 years.
Reduced surgical treatment rate
Assessment: “Five-year follow-up showed no difference in improvement in symptom severity score between the 3 groups”, write the scientists. Nevertheless, members of the group who received an injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone were less likely to undergo surgery than those in the placebo group. “This randomized clinical trial showed that local injection of steroids resulted in a reduced rate of surgical treatment in people with carpal tunnel syndrome, but no significant differences in symptom progression,” conclude the researchers.
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