A total of 120 patients eligible for carpal tunnel decompression were recruited into the study. The patients were randomised for treatment allocation, at a 1:1 ratio, resulting in 60 patients in group A, treated by standard TOCTR, and 60 patients in group B, treated by MACTR. To evaluate patients' outcomes we used the Boston Carpal Tunnel (BCT) questionnaire; the formed scar was evaluated according to the Vancouver scale and short- and long-term complications. Statistical analysis was performed by the chi-squared test and analysis of variance (ANOVA); Excel was the program used.
In our series, there was no complication related to the surgical intervention of any injury to nerve, artery or tendon structures. In each section of the BCT questionnaire, patients in group B had significantly better results than patients in group A at both 6 and 12 months' follow-up (p聽<聽0.001). For the Vancouver scar scale, there was a significant difference between two groups' scores; group B patients had significant improvements compared with group A patients.
In our perspective randomised study, MACTR showed statistically significant improvement compared to TOCTR. The patient tolerance is reasonably high and the procedure is compatible with the current minimal invasive trend in surgery.