Comparative Analysis of Mini-Transverse and Mid Palmar Longitudinal Incision in The Management of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Retrospective Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36552/pjns.v30i1.1058Abstract
Objective: This study aims to compare these two techniques in terms of postoperative pain, recovery time, complication rate, and patient satisfaction.
Material and Methods: This comparative study included 95 patients diagnosed with CTS on the basis of clinical examination supported by electrodiagnostic findings. Participants underwent either a mini transverse or a mid-palmar longitudinal incision for CTS decompression. Patient-reported outcome measures were collected in terms of postoperative pain, time to recovery, number of complications, and overall satisfaction. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS software, with a significance level set at p< 0.05.
Results: Out of 95 surgical procedures, 48 (50.5%) were performed using mini-transverse and 47 (49.5%) were mid-palmar longitudinal incisions. Patients in the mini-transverse incision experienced significantly lower intraoperative blood loss (mean 28 mL vs. 52 mL, p = 0.02) and reduced complication rates (e.g., infections: 3% vs. 5%, p = 0.12). Mini-transverse incision showed better neurological recovery at discharge (83% vs. 76%, p = 0.04) and at 6 months after surgery (88% vs. 82%, p = 0.05).
Conclusion: Mini transverse incision offers a less invasive alternative to the mid palmar longitudinal incision, resulting in less blood loss, fewer complications, faster recovery time, and higher patient satisfaction. These results support the growing inclination toward minimally invasive methods in the surgical management of CTS.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Kamran Ullah, Rizwan Ullah Khattak, Muhammad Irfan JavedThe work published by PJNS is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0). Copyrights on any open access article published by Pakistan Journal of Neurological Surgery are retained by the author(s).
