Carpal tunnel release under local anesthesia with or without distal median nerve block: Double-blind randomized clinical trial.

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy of the upper extremity, and its surgical treatment is carpal tunnel release (CTR). It is mostly performed in local anesthesia. There are no clinical randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing local infiltration anesthesia with or without a distal median nerve block in CTR. The aim of the PERSONNEL trial (carPal tunnEl ReleaSe lOcal iNfiltratioN mEdian bLockade) is to assess whether a distal median nerve block reduces pain during and after the procedure in addition to local anesthesia.

Methods: This is a single-center randomized clinical superiority trial comparing local anesthesia alone and local anesthesia with a distal median nerve block for CTR in patients with CTS. Adult patients will be randomized in one university hospital in Finland, and the intended sample size is 118. The primary outcome is the mean pain level after the procedure during 72 h using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The secondary outcomes include expected pain; pain during the injection of the anesthetic solution caused by pressure, burning, needle sting, and total pain; worst pain during the surgery; duration of anesthesia; number of experienced needle stings; Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire (BCTSQ); pain killer consumption;, patient satisfaction using Net Promoter Score (NPS); and complications.

Discussion: Patient satisfaction is a crucial factor in modern healthcare. A distal median nerve block may reduce pain during and after CTR, potentially increasing patient satisfaction with the given treatment. It can also be hypothesized that better postoperative pain control may prevent complications, for example, complex regional pain syndrome. However, we lack adequate evidence to justify the use of distal median nerve block, which can itself predispose patients to complications, for example, median nerve injury. Therefore, there is a need for adequate RCTs to assess its efficacy. The results of this study can be used to optimize anesthesia for carpal tunnel surgery, improve patient satisfaction, and possibly prevent complications.

Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05372393.