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Outcome after carpal tunnel release: effects of learning curve

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Abstract

Introduction

In carpal tunnel release, it is yet unclear whether a learning curve exists among surgeons. The aim of our study was to investigate if outcome after carpal tunnel release is dependent on surgeon’s experience and to get an impression of the learning curve for this procedure.

Methods

A total of 188 CTS patients underwent carpal tunnel release. Patients completed the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire at baseline and 6–8 months postoperatively together with a six-point scale for perceived improvement.

Results

Patients operated by an experienced resident or certified surgeon reported a favorable outcome more often than patients operated by an inexperienced resident (adjusted OR 3.23 and adjusted OR 3.16, respectively). In addition, a negative association was found between surgeon’s years of experience and postoperative Symptom Severity Scale and Functional Status Scale scores.

Discussion

Outcome after carpal tunnel release seems to be dependent on surgical experience, and there is a learning curve in residents.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all the participants who participated in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Weg door Jonkerbos 100, 6532 SZ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands

    Floriaan G. C. M. De Kleermaeker, Jan Meulstee & Wim I. M. Verhagen

  2. Department of Neurology, Franciscus Vlietland Hospital, Vlietlandplein 2, 3118 JH, Schiedam, Netherlands

    Franka Claes

  3. Department of Neurosurgery, Radboud University Medical Centre, Geert Grooteplein Zuid 10, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    Ronald H. M. A. Bartels

Authors
  1. Floriaan G. C. M. De Kleermaeker
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  2. Jan Meulstee
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  3. Franka Claes
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  4. Ronald H. M. A. Bartels
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  5. Wim I. M. Verhagen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Floriaan G. C. M. De Kleermaeker.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Permission from the local Medical Ethics Committee (Medisch Spectrum Twente) was obtained. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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De Kleermaeker, F.G.C.M., Meulstee, J., Claes, F. et al. Outcome after carpal tunnel release: effects of learning curve. Neurol Sci 40, 1813–1819 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-019-03908-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-019-03908-1

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