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CC BY-NC 4.0 · Arch Plast Surg 2018; 45(05): 474-478
DOI: 10.5999/aps.2017.00724
Case Report

Recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome associated with extension of flexor digitorum muscle bellies into the carpal tunnel: A case series

Authors

  • Rochelle Castillo

    Department of Medicine, University of Connecticut, Farmington, CT, USA

  • Khushboo Sheth

    Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

  • Alan Babigian

    Section of Plastic/Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, USA

  • Christopher Scola

    Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, CT, USA
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While the success or failure of carpal tunnel release ultimately depends on the interplay of a wide array of factors, a broad understanding of the normal anatomy of the carpal tunnel accompanied by awareness of the possible variations of the individual structures that make up its contents is crucial to optimizing surgical outcomes. While anatomic variants such as extension of the flexor digitorum muscle bellies have been described as a cause of primary carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), there have been no reports depicting its association with recurrent CTS following initially successful carpal tunnel release, a finding with potentially significant prognostic implications that can aid in operative planning. In such cases where muscle extension is identified preoperatively, careful debulking of the muscle belly may be beneficial in improving long-term surgical outcomes.

Keywords

Carpal tunnel syndrome - Median nerve - Forearm - Hand - Reoperation


Publication History

Received: 13 April 2017

Accepted: 25 April 2018

Article published online:
03 April 2022

© 2018. The Korean Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, permitting unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/)

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