The Orthopedic clinics of North America
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Orthop. Clin. North Am. · Oct 2009
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyMinimally invasive carpal tunnel release.
We prospectively compared the safety and effectiveness of mini-incision (group A) and a limited open technique (group B) for carpal tunnel release (CTR) in 185 consecutive patients operated between November 1999 and May 2001, with a 5-year minimum follow-up. Patients in Group A had a minimally invasive approach (<2 cm incision), performed using the KnifeLight (Stryker, Kalamazoo, Michigan) instrument. ⋯ Mini-incision CTR showed advantages over standard technique in early recovery, pillar pain, and recurrence rate. The recovery period after mini-incision is shorter than after standard procedure.