OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided needle knife release with different pathways for carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). METHODS: Sixty CTS patients were randomly divided into a transverse group and a longitudinal group, with 30 patients in each group. The transverse group received the needle knife release under ultrasound above and below the median nerve along the short axis, while the longitudinal group received the needle knife release under ultrasound above the median nerve along the long axis. The patients' visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, Levine scores, and median nerve cross-section area (CSA) were assessed before treatment, on the 7th, 14th, and 30th days after treatment. The median nerve conduction indexes (motor conduction: latency [Lat], amplitude[Amp], motor conduction velocity [MCV]; sensory conduction: Lat, Amp, sensory conduction velocity [SCV]) were evaluated before treatment and on the 30th day after treatment. RESULTS: Compared before treatment, the VAS scores, Levine scores, and median nerve CSA were reduced in both groups on the 7th, 14th, and 30th days after treatment (P<0.05); the transverse group showed lower VAS and Levine scores and smaller CSA than those in the longitudinal group (P<0.05). On the 30th day after treatment, motor and sensory Lat was reduced (P<0.05), motor and sensory Amp was increased (P<0.05), and MCV and SCV were faster (P<0.05) in both groups. The transverse group had shorter Lat, higher Amp, and faster MCV and SCV than those in the longitudinal group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION The ultrasound-guided needle knife release with transverse and longitudinal pathways could both effectively alleviate pain and improve median nerve conduction in CTS patients, with the transverse pathway showing superior efficacy to longitudinal pathway.
Humans ; Carpal Tunnel Syndrome/therapy* ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Adult ; Median Nerve/physiopathology* ; Acupuncture Therapy/instrumentation* ; Treatment Outcome ; Neural Conduction ; Aged ; Ultrasonography

The main purposes of translational Medicine is to break the barrier among the basic medicine,clinical medicine and drug R&D in order to establish direct and close connection and cooperation between them.However,so far almost in the world wide,translational medicine is still at the exploration stage and far away from the real transformation.This article reviewed the difficult position of translational medicine cooperation from the three aspects of cooperative resources,sponsor and domestic culture,and then suggested to promote clinical medicine research,set up new assessment systems which focus on classified evaluation and representative work,as well as create the culture of cooperation.

Objective To explore the association between precordial skin temperature and coronary heart disease and effect of moxibustion at Neiguan (PC 6) on precordial skin temperature in patients with coronary heart disease. Method Thirty healthy volunteers (control group) and thirty patients with coronary heart disease (treatment group) received infrared thermal imaging examination on region A (precordial region) and region B on chest. Afterwards, all subjects were given moxibustion at Neiguan (PC 6) and then received infrared thermal imaging examination again. The temperatures of before and after moxibustion were compared. Result In the treatment group, there was a significant difference in comparing the average temperature in region A and B before moxibustion (P<0.05), and the difference was statistically significant after moxibustion (P<0.05). After moxibustion, there was a significant difference in comparing the average temperature in region A between the two groups (P<0.05). Conclusion To some extent, the precordial skin temperature reflects the blood supply condition of coronary artery. Moxibustion at Neiguan (PC 6) can change the temperature and improve the coronary blood supply.