• Francesco Smeraglia, Angelo Del Buono, and Nicola Maffulli.
• Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, 'Federico II' University, Naples, Italy.
• Br. Med. Bull. 2015 Jan 1; 116: 155-63.

IntroductionTheoretical advantages of endoscopic cubital tunnel release are the short incision, lower risk of nerve damage, reduced manipulation of the nerve and possible faster recovery.Sources Of DataWe systematically searched Medline (PubMed), Web of Science and Scopus databases using the following keywords: 'endoscopic ulnar nerve', 'endoscopic cubital nerve', 'endoscopic ulnar compression' and 'endoscopic ulnar neuropathy'. Twenty-one studies were included in this review. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Coleman Methodological Score.Areas Of AgreementEndoscopic release is effective for cubital tunnel entrapment and allows adequate visualization of the site of entrapment. There is a negative association between the severity of the compression and reported outcomes. Injury to the medial branch of the antebrachial cutaneous nerve is less frequent thanks to the limited dissection. The most frequent complication is the development of a hematoma.Areas Of ControversyIt is unclear whether ulnar nerve instability is a contraindication to simple decompression.Growing PointsThe shorter time to return to work and the cosmetic appearance of the scar can be considered advantages of the endoscopic technique.Areas Timely For Developing ResearchThere is a need to perform randomized clinical trials with common and validated scoring system with a longer duration of follow-up. The literature pertinent to endoscopic cubital tunnel release is lacking in the evaluation of the learning curve. Further investigations are necessary to assess the role of ulnar nerve instability.© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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