title: [Efficacy of modified acupotome combined with blocking therapy in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the efficacy of modified acupotome combined with blocking therapy in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-five patients with CTS were divided into three groups, which were modified acupotome group including 26 CTS patients with 28 lesions treated by modified acupotome combined with blocking therapy, traditional acupotome group including 14 CTS patients with 16 lesions treated by traditional acupotome combined with blocking therapy, and blocking therapy group including 15 CTS patients with 15 lesions only treated by local blocking. The treatment outcome and one-year recurrence rate were observed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate and one-year recurrence rate after operation in the modified acupotome group were 85.7% (24/28) and 20.8% (5/24) respectively, which had no significant differences as compared with 81.3% (13/16) and 38.5% (5/13) in the traditional acupotome group. The response rate and one-year recurrence rate after operation in the above two groups were both improved significantly as compared with those in the blocking therapy group which were 46.7% (7/15) and 85.7% (6/7) respectively. There were no acupotome-related adverse effects and injuries observed in the modified acupotome group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The modified acupotome is a considerable treatment method for CTS with respect to its simple manipulation and high effectiveness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, First Hospital, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710061, China. wuwujun_xa@163.com
authors.forename: Wu-Jun
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Cheng-En
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Wen-Zheng
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Jian
mesh_terms: D015670:Acupuncture Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D000328:Adult; D002349:Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009407:Nerve Block / Q000379:methods