ArticleHong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liao2018
Effectiveness of surgical versus conservative treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome: A systematic review, meta-analysis and qualitative analysis.
Article in Hong Kong physiotherapy journal : official publication of the Hong Kong Physiotherapy Association Limited = Wu li chih liao, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05466162 (Effects of Soft Tissue Massage Along With Mobilization Technique on Intensity of Symptoms and Functional Status of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - A Randomized Controlled Trial), which is not on this map. Cited by 27 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effects of Soft Tissue Massage Along With Mobilization Technique on Intensity of Symptoms and Functional Status of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - A Randomized Controlled Trial
Who cites it
27 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 52 citations in OpenAlex.
- Surgical versus non-surgical treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2024Pooled it
- Local corticosteroid injection versus placebo for carpal tunnel syndrome.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2023Pooled it
- The effectiveness of manual therapy on pain, physical function, and nerve conduction studies in carpal tunnel syndrome patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International orthopaedics · 2022Pooled it
- Quality analysis of prior systematic reviews of carpal tunnel syndrome: an overview of the literature.Sao Paulo medical journal = Revista paulista de medicina · 2022Pooled it
- Long-term Outcome of Local Steroid Injections Versus Surgery in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Observational Extension of a Randomized Clinical Trial.Hand (New York, N.Y.) · 2022Trial
- Endoscopic versus Open Carpal Tunnel Release: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Asian journal of neurosurgery · 2026Review
- Secondary Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Due to Flexor Tenosynovitis in a Diabetic Patient.Annals of African medicine · 2026Article
- Advancements in Surgical Management of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Comparative Review of Open, Endoscopic, and Ultra-Minimally Invasive Techniques.Advances in orthopedics · 2026Review
- Ultrasound-guided acupotomy: a paradigm shift toward precision and safety in carpal tunnel syndrome therapy.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Evaluating the Association Between Educational Status and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Presentations and Severity.Advances in orthopedics · 2025Article
- Determination of safe zone for median nerve in carpal tunnel using anatomical landmarks.Bioinformation · 2025Article
- Long-Term Clinical Outcomes and Patient Satisfaction Following Ultrasound-Guided Hydrodissection for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome : Long-Term Outcomes and Satisfaction after Ultrasound-Guided Hydrodissection for CTS.Galen medical journal · 2025Review
- Surgical Interventions for the Management of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Narrative Review.Cureus · 2024Review
- A Pilot Study In to the Effects of Cervical Manual Therapy Plus Conventional Physical Therapy on Clinical Outcomes and Electrodiagnostic Findings in People With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.International journal of therapeutic massage & bodywork · 2023Article
- Assessment of Pain Treatments in Disorders of Upper Limbs: A Qualitative Study Protocol Based on Patients' Experiences.Nursing reports (Pavia, Italy) · 2023Article
- Study on the effect, safety, prognosis quality and application value of extracorporeal shock wave based neural activity in carpal tunnel syndrome patients.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2023Article
- Understanding the Non-Surgical Treatment Experience of Female Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Qualitative Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Open or Endoscopic Release Surgery Method?The archives of bone and joint surgery · 2022Article
- The outcomes of carpal tunnel decompression based on electro-diagnostic approaches and clinical symptoms in patients suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2022Article
- Letter to the Editor concerning "The effectiveness of manual therapy on pain, physical function, and nerve conduction studies in carpal tunnel syndrome patients: a systematic review and meta‑analysis".International orthopaedics · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCarpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy of the upper limb. Treatment options include physiotherapy, splinting, steroid injections or surgery.
objectiveTo compare the effectiveness of surgical versus conservative treatment for CTS for symptom and functional improvement and improvement of neurophysiological parameters.
methodsSystematic searches of PubMed and EBSCO host were conducted to identify the studies published between 1990 and 2016, comparing any surgical treatment to any conservative treatment. Participants were adults with a diagnosis of CTS, with symptom duration ranging from 8 months to 3 years. A meta-analysis and a qualitative analysis were conducted to summarize the results of the included studies and establish any agreement between the two.
resultsA total of 15 studies were included in the study and 10 were included in the meta-analysis, involving 1787 wrists. The qualitative and quantitative analyses were consistent with the results of both indicating that surgical treatment leads to a greater improvement of symptoms at six months (mean difference: 0.52, 95%CI 0.27 to 0.78) and a greater improvement of neurophysiological parameters [distal motor latency (mean difference: 0.31, 95%CI 0.06 to 0.56), sensory nerve conduction velocity (mean difference: 3.71 m/s, 95%CI 1.94 to 5.49)]. At 3 months and 12 months, the results were not significant in favor of surgery or conservative treatment.
conclusionConservative treatment for CTS should be preferred for mild and short-term CTS. Surgery is more effective than conservative in CTS, and should be considered in persisting symptoms, taking into account the complications, which are more severe after surgery. Further research should focus on the field of manual therapy and compare it to surgical treatment for CTS.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.