Endoscopic carpal tunnel release: the guide tube technique.
This article introduces a modification of the Chow double-portal endoscopic carpal tunnel release and reviews the results of 71 endoscopic carpal tunnel decompressions performed on 50 consecutive patients over a 20-month period. The guide tube technique was developed to improve patient safety and provide good ligament visualization. In the clinical study, 33 patients not receiving workers' compensation were ready to return to work at 12 days (mean). The 17 patients receiving workers' compensation were divided into two groups: workers with carpal tunnel syndrome only and workers with carpal tunnel syndrome and associated musculoskeletal pain syndromes. The 11 workers with carpal tunnel syndrome alone returned to work by 74 days (mean). The six workers with carpal tunnel syndrome and myofascial pain took 160 days (mean) to return to work. The complication rate was 1.4%. Based on this small retrospective study, the guide tube technique achieved safe and easily reproducible surgical results.