Minimally Invasive Surgical Management of Lacertus Syndrome: Short-Term Results

Abstract

Background: lacertus syndrome (LS), has conventionally been regarded as a vague and uncommon condition to diagnose, This article explores the condition’s clinical symptoms, methods for diagnosis, surgical approach, and the outcomes of surgical intervention. Methods: This study analyzed data collected retrospectively over a two-year period,focusing on patients who underwent lacertus syndrome release. The investigation included available (DASH) questionnaire scores, along with post-operative outcomes (VAS) ratings for pain and numbness, patient-reported satisfaction with the surgical results, and intra-operative restoration of muscle strength. Results: A total of 28 lacertus releases were recorded, 20 cases (71.4%) were isolated LR, and 8 patients (28.5%) were associated both LR and carpal tunnel releases. The most frequently reported symptoms among patients with LS included diminished strength of the hand (96.7%), reduced endurance or hand fatigue (74.4%), and pain in the forearm (36.5%). All individuals with associated LS and CTS experienced numbness in the median nerve distribution of the hand. The average pre-operative DASH score was 35.5 (range 3.4–85.2), Post-operatively, the average quick-DASH score significantly decreased to 13.5 (range 0–63.6), with a highly significant statistical difference (p < 0.001). Postoperative VAS scores averaged 1.7 for pain, 1.9 for numbness, and 8.6 for operative outcome satisfaction. Notably, 89% of patients reported good to excellent satisfactory results Conclusion:Minimally invasive surgical management of LS with follow-up periods of at least twelve months has been shown to provide immediate restoration of hand muscle strength, substantial improvements in DASH scores, and favorable outcomes in terms of (VAS) pain, numbness, and patient satisfaction.