RESUMO
Forty eight hands [thirty-six patients] had a release of the transverse carpal ligament for carpal tunnel syndrome. The average age was 42 years. There was motor weakness in 12 hands and wasting of the thenar muscles in eight. Three provocative tests were carried out. The Phalen test was positive in 28 hands [65%] Tinnel sign was positive in 26 hands [60%], but the Tourniquet test was not conclusive. Preoperative nerve conduction tests showed severe compression in 20 hands and moderate compression in 23. The average length of follow-up was one year. All the patients operated on had relief of sensory symptoms and improvement of motor weakness, but the wasting of the thenar muscles persisted. Different pathologies were met with as an underlying cause of median nerve compression, such as rheumatoid arthritis, T.B., ganglion, tumours and trauma. Three cases presented with acute symptoms and had to be operated upon on the same day. In bilateral cases one has to search for a generalised disease such as multiple myelomatosis or myxoedema