The Effect of Carpal Tunnel Release on Neuropathic Pain in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Table 4
The relationship between the painDETECT scores and clinical characteristics before surgery.
The data before operation
painDETECT (score) (number of hands)
Unlikely NP (≤12)
Possible NP (13–18)
Likely NP (≥19)
Sex (male, female) ( [%])
25 (36), 45 (64)
12 (40), 18 (60)
3 (33), 6 (67)
Age, years (mean ± SD)
68.6 ± 9.0
69.3 ± 9.8
74.6 ± 10.2
Disease duration, months (mean ± SD)
17.9 ± 21.0
27.1 ± 36.0
6.9 ± 7.2
Distal latency, msec (mean ± SD)
10.1 ± 3.5
9.9 ± 3.4
10.5 ± 4.6
S-W test (mean ± SD)
4.6 ± 1.1
4.5 ± 1.3
5.0 ± 1.3
MMT of APB (mean ± SD)
3.5 ± 0.9
3.8 ± 0.6
3.2 ± 1.2
Tip pinch (thumb-index), Kgf (mean ± SD)
3.6 ± 1.8
2.1 ± 1.6
Tip pinch (thumb-little), Kgf (mean ± SD)
1.1 ± 0.8
0.6 ± 0.3
Grip power, Kg (mean ± SD)
16.3 ± 7.2
11.5 ± 5.3
Pain score (VAS)
At entry (mean ± SD)
46.0 ± 25.9
52.9 ± 27.1
Most severe pain during 4 weeks (mean ± SD)
70.2 ± 22.2
71.3 ± 17.9
Average pain during 4 weeks (mean ± SD)
46.0 ± 25.7
51.6 ± 16.2
Night pain (mean ± SD)
43.7 ± 35.4
37.2 ± 31.8
Night pain (existence, nonexistence) ( [%])
31 (44), 39
21 (70), 9 (30)
6 (67), 3 (33)
DASH score (mean ± SD)
30.6 ± 22.1
23.9 ± 16.1
25.8 ± 17.0
NP: neuropathic pain; SD: standard deviation; S-W test: Semmes-Weinstein Monofilaments test; MMT: Manual Muscle Testing; APB: abductor pollicis brevis; VAS: visual analogue scale; DASH: Disability of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand; significantly different to Likely NP ; significantly different to Likely NP ; significantly different to Possible NP ; calculated by test.
