ABSTRACT
Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a well-known compression
neuropathy of the median nerve at the level of the wrist. Several
surgical techniques have been described for the treatment of
this disorder. These techniques began with the now traditional
open incision procedure for release of the transverse carpal
ligament (TCL) and have included varying degrees of flexor
retinaculum and distal volar forearm fascia release. Recent
years have seen an overall change in patient and surgeon
perspective as to what defines an optimal surgical procedure.
These changing expectations have led to the development of
several “minimally invasive” methods in all surgical fields. The
approach to carpal tunnel release has been no less affected by
this shift in the general surgical paradigm.
