title: Rates of Complications and Secondary Surgeries After In Situ Cubital Tunnel Release Compared With Ulnar Nerve Transposition: A Retrospective Review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to contrast the rate and types of complications and secondary surgeries for in situ cubital tunnel release and ulnar nerve transposition.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective cohort study was performed by query of hospital billing records for all patients who underwent cubital tunnel surgery from August 2008 to July 2013, yielding 421 patients. Exclusion criteria were acute trauma, revision surgery, neoplasm, age younger than 18 years, incomplete records, and postoperative follow-up less than 3 months. Of the remaining 234 patients, 147 patients underwent 157 in situ cubital tunnel releases and 87 patients underwent 90 ulnar nerve transpositions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 157 in situ cubital tunnel releases, there were 6 complications (3.8%), including 3 cases (1.9%) of ulnar nerve instability, 2 cases (1.3%) of postoperative infection, and 1 case (0.6%) of a postoperative seroma. In 90 ulnar nerve transpositions, there were 2 complications (2.2%), including 1 case (1.1%) of postoperative infection and 1 case (1.1%) of medial antebrachial cutaneous nerve injury. The secondary surgery rate was 5.7% overall, 2.5% for in situ cubital tunnel release, and 11.1% for ulnar nerve transposition. Chronic kidney disease was associated with complication after cubital tunnel surgery. Prior trauma to the elbow and ulnar nerve transposition were associated with secondary surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The short-term complication rates of cubital tunnel surgery are low (3.2%), but higher for patients with chronic kidney disease. The secondary surgery rate after cubital tunnel surgery was 5.7% overall, but higher for patients with prior elbow trauma and for patients undergoing ulnar nerve transposition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapeutic IV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA. Electronic address: dzhang9@partners.org.
authors.forename: Dafang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Brandon E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Earp
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Blazar
mesh_terms: D020430:Cubital Tunnel Syndrome / Q000601:surgery*; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014459:Ulnar Nerve / Q000637:transplantation*
keywords: Cubital tunnel syndrome; complications; in situ decompression; secondary surgery; ulnar nerve transposition