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Sonographic evaluation of the abductor pollicis brevis muscle reflects muscle strength recovery after carpal tunnel release

  • Original Article–Orthopedics
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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to examine the associations between sonographic measurements of the abductor pollicis brevis (APB), grip and pinch strength, and distal motor latency (DML) in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) before and after surgery.

Methods

We prospectively studied patients (46 hands) who underwent 1 year of postoperative follow-up after endoscopic carpal tunnel release. The patients underwent ultrasound (US) scans, grip and pinch strength assessment, a nerve conduction study, and patient-reported outcome measures (Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Instrument and Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire) before and 1 year after surgery. The standardized response mean was calculated to compare the sensitivity of clinical changes in these measurements.

Results

US measurements (thickness of the APB and the cross-sectional area of the APB) and muscle strength (grip strength, key pinch, and tip pinch) were greater, and DML was reduced after surgery compared with those before surgery (all P < 0.05). Patient-reported outcome measures also showed clinical improvement 1 year after surgery (P < 0.05). US measurements of the APB were significantly correlated with grip and pinch strength (all P < 0.05), but not with DML, before surgery and 1 year after surgery. The standardized response mean showed a large responsiveness for US measurements of the APB and patient-reported outcome measures.

Conclusion

US evaluation of the APB after CTS can complement the evaluation of grip and pinch strength in the clinical setting. Postoperative recovery of the APB leads to improved motor dysfunction in CTS. Therefore, US measurement of the APB could be a useful tool for evaluating motor function.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Ellen Knapp, PhD, from Edanz (https://jp.edanz.com/ac) for editing a draft of this manuscript.

Funding

We have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University, 2-7 Daigaku-machi, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-8686, Japan

    Katsunori Ohno, Kenta Fujiwara, Atsushi Yokota & Masashi Neo

  2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hokusetsu General Hospital, 6-24 Kitayanagawa-cho, Takatsuki, Osaka, 569-8686, Japan

    Keitaro Fujino

Authors
  1. Katsunori Ohno
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  2. Keitaro Fujino
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  3. Kenta Fujiwara
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Correspondence to Katsunori Ohno.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical statement

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1964 and later versions.

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Informed consent was obtained from all patients included in the study.

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Ohno, K., Fujino, K., Fujiwara, K. et al. Sonographic evaluation of the abductor pollicis brevis muscle reflects muscle strength recovery after carpal tunnel release. J Med Ultrasonics 49, 279–287 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-022-01195-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-022-01195-6

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