Outcome of open versus endoscopic approach for the surgical treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome

The authors retrospectively evaluated two comparable groups of patients who underwent either open (103 patients) or endoscopic decompression (86 patients) of the carpal tunnel with the two portal technique. There were 95 patients available for follow-up in the open group and 79 in the endoscopic group. The average follow-up period was 38 months (range: 12 to 60). Each patient received a questionnaire in order to determine if there was any difference in severity of symptoms and functional status, patient satisfaction and time to return to activities of daily living. The questionnaire also focused on complications and on readiness to undergo the same operation again. There was no significant difference between the two techniques in any of the outcome measurements.