[The usefulness of intraoperative changes in median nerve for prognostic results of carpal tunnel syndrome treatment].

The aim of this study was to determine principles in the Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) depending on the intraoperative observations. Results of operative treatment 104 hands of 88 patients with CTS were analysed and compared with observations before and two years after operation. Normal median nerve was found in 39 hands. Intraoperative pathological changes were observed in 65 examined nerves from 104 released median nerves. There were vast vascularisation and congestion (24 nerves), swelling and thickening of external epineurium by along carpal tunnel (14 nerves) or transverse groove in the nerve (27 nerves). The intraoperative pathological changes of median nerves are of great importance to prognosis in CTS. The sensory deficit is prolonged and an opposition strength of the thumb is not improving when transverse groove in the median nerve occurs. The opposition lost of the thumb always persist but nocturnal pains always pass after operation regardless of median nerve pathological changes.