Carpal Tunnel Release Under Local Anaesthesia With or Without Distal Median Nerve Block

NCT ID: NCT05372393

Last Updated: 2025-09-19

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

118 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-09-21

Study Completion Date

2026-04-30

Brief Summary

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Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most commonly appearing entrapment neuropathy of the upper extremity. Treatment options include both non-operative and operative methods. Surgical treatment, carpal tunnel release (CTR), involves division of the transverse carpal ligament. Surgery can be performed under axillary or intravenous block, or general anaesthesia. There are no prior randomised controlled trials (RCT) comparing local infiltration anaesthesia to local infiltration anaesthesia augmented with a distal median nerve block in CTR.

The aim of this trial is to investigate whether adding a distal median nerve block to local anaesthesia reduces the patient's perceived pain level for up to 72 hours after CTR, compared to using only local anaesthesia, i.e., an anaesthesia mixture injected solely in and around the planned incision and nerve release. The null hypothesis is that the use of distal median nerve block with local anaesthesia does not reduce pain after CTR compared to pure local anaesthesia.

PERSONNEL (carPal tunnEl ReleaSe lOcal iNfiltratioN mEdian bLockade) is a double-blinded, i.e., patient and investigators, RCT in patients with CTS. Patients will be randomly divided into two parallel trial groups, 1:1 in size to each other. Fifty-nine patients will be needed for each group to have adequate power. The primary outcome is the pain level perceived by the patient after the procedure during the first 72 hours using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes include patient-rated outcome measures, safety, the entire consumption of pain killers after the surgery during the first 72 hours postoperatively, pain of performing the anaesthesia, and pain during and after the operation.

No trial comparing local anaesthesia to local anaesthesia augmented with distal median nerve block has been published before. There is also no trial noting individual tolerance to pain. The quality of the median nerve block at the wrist has been achieved by using sensory or sensory-motor nerve stimulation and has been proven effective. This increases trust in the effectiveness of the treatment method, but it still needs to be adequately proven which is the goal of this trial.

Detailed Description

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Conditions

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Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Two concurrent study groups
Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

DOUBLE

Participants Investigators
Masking is double blinded (patient and investigators). The trial patients are blinded to the randomization. They can't see to the operation field. In the local anaesthesia group care provider pinches from the area of median nerve blockade prior to performing local anaesthesia.

Study Groups

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Local infiltration anaesthesia in carpal tunnel release

The investigators allocate 59 patients in this arm. It serves as the control group, who receives local infiltration anaesthesia.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Local infiltration anaesthesia in carpal tunnel release

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

The anaesthetic cocktail consists of 1 ml of (7.5%) sodium bicarbonate (Natriumbicarbonate Braun 75mg/ml), 4,5 ml of lidocaine with adrenaline 1% (Lidocain cum adrenalin 10 mg/ml), 4,5 ml of bupivacaine with adrenaline 0.5% (Marcain cum adrenalin 5mg/ml +5 µg/ml). The anaesthetic cocktail must be prepared in the above-mentioned order to avoid possible precipitation. A 24-gauge hypodermic needle and 10 ml syringe are used to inject the solution. The care provider pinches from the area of median nerve blockade prior to performing local anaesthesia. All the anaesthetic solution is injected locally. Additional anaesthetic solution can be injected locally if necessary.

Distal median nerve block with local infiltration anaesthesia in carpal tunnel release

The investigators allocate 59 patients in this arm. It serves as the experimental group, who receives local infiltration anaesthesia and distal median nerve block.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Distal median nerve block with local infiltration anaesthesia in carpal tunnel release

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

The anaesthetic cocktail consists of 1 ml of (7.5%) sodium bicarbonate (Natriumbicarbonate Braun 75mg/ml), 4,5 ml of lidocaine with adrenaline 1% (Lidocain cum adrenalin 10 mg/ml), 4,5 ml of bupivacaine with adrenaline 0.5% (Marcain cum adrenalin 5mg/ml +5 µg/ml). The anaesthetic cocktail must be prepared in the above-mentioned order to avoid possible precipitation. A 24-gauge hypodermic needle and 10 ml syringe are used to inject the solution. Half of the anaesthetic solution is injected into the median nerve area 5-7 cm proximally from the distal wrist crease. The other half is injected locally. Additional anaesthetic solution can be injected locally if necessary.

Interventions

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Local infiltration anaesthesia in carpal tunnel release

The anaesthetic cocktail consists of 1 ml of (7.5%) sodium bicarbonate (Natriumbicarbonate Braun 75mg/ml), 4,5 ml of lidocaine with adrenaline 1% (Lidocain cum adrenalin 10 mg/ml), 4,5 ml of bupivacaine with adrenaline 0.5% (Marcain cum adrenalin 5mg/ml +5 µg/ml). The anaesthetic cocktail must be prepared in the above-mentioned order to avoid possible precipitation. A 24-gauge hypodermic needle and 10 ml syringe are used to inject the solution. The care provider pinches from the area of median nerve blockade prior to performing local anaesthesia. All the anaesthetic solution is injected locally. Additional anaesthetic solution can be injected locally if necessary.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Distal median nerve block with local infiltration anaesthesia in carpal tunnel release

The anaesthetic cocktail consists of 1 ml of (7.5%) sodium bicarbonate (Natriumbicarbonate Braun 75mg/ml), 4,5 ml of lidocaine with adrenaline 1% (Lidocain cum adrenalin 10 mg/ml), 4,5 ml of bupivacaine with adrenaline 0.5% (Marcain cum adrenalin 5mg/ml +5 µg/ml). The anaesthetic cocktail must be prepared in the above-mentioned order to avoid possible precipitation. A 24-gauge hypodermic needle and 10 ml syringe are used to inject the solution. Half of the anaesthetic solution is injected into the median nerve area 5-7 cm proximally from the distal wrist crease. The other half is injected locally. Additional anaesthetic solution can be injected locally if necessary.

Intervention Type PROCEDURE

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* ≥18 years of age
* CTS verified by nerve conduction studies
* Symptoms suitable for CTS

Exclusion Criteria

* Recurrent CTS
* Peripheral neuropathies
* Known allergy to the trial drugs
* Profound cognitive impairment
* Pregnancy
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Eastern Finland

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Kuopio University Hospital

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Yrjänä Nietosvaara, Prof.

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

Kuopio University Hospital

Locations

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Kuopio University hospital, Department of Orthopaedics, Traumatology and Hand Surgery

Kuopio, Northern Savonia, Finland

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Finland

Central Contacts

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Noora Heikkinen, MBBS

Role: CONTACT

+358504421930

Yrjänä Nietosvaara, Prof.

Role: CONTACT

+358447176883

Facility Contacts

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Yrjänä Nietosvaara, Prof.

Role: primary

+358447176883

References

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Other Identifiers

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KUH5203140

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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