Efficacy of splint treatment or splint plus gabapentin treatment in idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficiency of gabapentin treatment combined with splint application in idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) and to determine clinically and electroneurophysiologically if the combined treatment is superior to splint application alone. Material and Method: A total of 30 patients with a clinical and electroneurophysiological diagnosis of CTS were recruited to the study and randomized into two groups to receive combined treatment consisting of 1800 mg/day gabapentin and splint application or to use splint alone. Clinical assessments were performed at baseline, at month 1 and month 6. Patients were assessed by Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ), grip strength and electroneurophysiological studies; the treatment satisfaction was evaluated by a Lickert scale. Results: VAS-pain, -paresthesia scores were improved in both groups with no statistical difference between the groups. Grip strength and functional assessments were improved significantly only in the splint group. In electroneurophysiological studies, distal motor latency in the combined treatment group, sensory latency in splint group and sensory conduction velocity in both groups were improved significantly. Intergroup comparisons revealed significant improvement in combined treatment group only for sensory conduction velocity. Discussion: In conclusion, our study suggests that combination of splint and gabapentin is not superior to the splint alone in the treatment of CTS, except for median nerve sensory conduction velocity.