Observational studyBMC surgery2025
Wide-awake vs. regional anesthesia for carpal tunnel release: a prospective study on pain, grip strength, and sleep quality.
Observational study in BMC surgery, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- What's New in Wide-Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet (WALANT) Hand Surgery?Journal of hand surgery global online · 2026Review
- Wide-Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet: From Elective Hand Surgery to Fracture Fixation. A Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Narrative Synthesis.Orthopedic reviews · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCarpal tunnel release (CTR) is a common procedure for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), with WALANT (Wide-Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet) and Axillary Brachial Plexus Block (ABPB) as two primary anesthesia options. This study compares their effects on pain, functional recovery, grip strength, and sleep quality.
methodsA prospective observational study with quasi-randomization was conducted on 62 patients undergoing CTR under WALANT or ABPB. Outcomes included operative time, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, grip strength, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Patients were followed up at 1 week, 3 weeks, and 3 months postoperatively.
resultsWALANT significantly reduced operative time compared to ABPB (mean: 20.8 ± 4.1 min vs. 41.5 ± 9.4 min; mean difference: 20.7 min; 95% CI: 16.3-25.1; p = 0.001; d = 2.45). It was also associated with significantly lower pain scores at both 3 weeks and 3 months. At 3 weeks, VAS scores were 0.7 ± 0.8 (WALANT) vs. 2.5 ± 2.1 (ABPB) (mean difference: 1.8; 95% CI: 0.6-2.9; p = 0.003; d = 1.00), and at 3 months, 0.3 ± 0.4 vs. 2.3 ± 1.4, respectively (mean difference: 2.0; 95% CI: 1.1-2.9; p = 0.003; d = 1.15). Early postoperative pain scores (1st hour and 1st day) were also lower in the WALANT group; however, these differences did not reach statistical significance. Grip strength recovery at 3 months showed no significant difference between groups in both thumb pinch and finger pinch measurements (p > 0.05). Similarly, sleep quality improvements assessed by PSQI did not significantly differ between groups at 3 months (WALANT: 5.7 ± 1.6 vs. ABPB: 5.9 ± 1.3; p = 0.868).
conclusionWALANT is a time-efficient and effective anesthesia method for CTR, offering prolonged pain relief without compromising functional recovery, grip strength, or sleep quality.
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