Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To compare between selected post-operatives physical therapy modalities after transverse carpal ligament release. DESIGN: Double blind, randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Health insurance hospital outpatient clinic in Cairo, Egypt. SUBJECTS: Forty-five female patients aged 25–45 years, following transverse carpal ligament release of the dominant hand, referred to the physical therapy outpatient clinic of a health insurance hospital, Egypt. INTERVENTION: Patients were randomly allocated to three equal groups of 15: Ultrasonic group received continuous ultrasound with nerve and tendon gliding exercises, Laser group received laser therapy and the same exercises, Exercise group received the same exercises only. Treatment duration was six weeks, three times per week. MAIN MEASURE: Visual analogue scale for pain intensity, pinch dynamometer for muscle strength, motor and sensory distal latencies for median nerve. RESULTS: There was significant improvement after treatment in all groups, with no significant difference between the Ultrasonic group and the Laser group; there was a highly significant difference between the Ultrasonic group and the Exercise group, and a significant difference between the Laser group and the Exercise group. CONCLUSION: Continuous ultrasound accompanied with nerve and tendon gliding exercises is considered more effective in the post-operative treatment of transverse carpal ligament release, giving best results and percentage of improvements when compared either to Laser therapy with nerve and tendon gliding exercises or nerve and tendon gliding exercises only.