Timing of Corticosteroid Injection Before Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release Influences Wound Complication Rates.
- 1University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
Abstract
Background
Endoscopic carpal tunnel release (CTR) is an alternative to open CTR, which may have improved wound healing. Corticosteroid injections (CSIs) may increase postoperative wound complications and are commonly used for nonoperative management. Given these competing effects, this study sought to determine whether the timing of CSI prior to endoscopic CTR would influence postoperative wound-complication rates.Methods
A national claims database was retrospectively queried for patients undergoing endoscopic CTR between 2010 and 2023. Patients were stratified based on preoperative CSI timing: <1, 1 to 3, 6 to 12 months, with no preoperative CSI within 1 year as a comparator. These were propensity score matched, using demographic and comorbidity factors. Primary outcomes included a composite of infectious and noninfectious wound complications and irrigation and debridement within 3 months postoperatively. Multivariable logistic regression compared patients with and without a recent history of CSI and their association with wound complications.Results
In total, 24 013 patients with a history of preoperative CSI were matched to 70 918 patients without a CSI history with good balance. When compared with patients without a CSI history, patients who were administered a CSI < 1 month (1.72 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21-2.38, P = .002]) and 1-3 months (1.48 [95% CI: 1.16-1.86, P = .001]) before their endoscopic CTR were at significantly greater adjusted odds of composite wound complications.Conclusions
Endoscopic CTR is associated with equivalent wound complications when compared with those without a preoperative CSI if performed ≥3 months after CSI.
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BibTeX
@article{wier2026timing,
title = {{Timing of Corticosteroid Injection Before Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release Influences Wound Complication Rates.}},
author = {Julian Wier and Daniel Rusu and Aidan Lindgren and Ali Azad and Luke T Nicholson},
journal = {Hand (New York, N.Y.)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1177/15589447261496358},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42954420},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Timing of Corticosteroid Injection Before Endoscopic Carpal Tunnel Release Influences Wound Complication Rates.
AU - Julian Wier
AU - Daniel Rusu
AU - Aidan Lindgren
AU - Ali Azad
AU - Luke T Nicholson
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/29
JO - Hand (New York, N.Y.)
DO - 10.1177/15589447261496358
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42954420
AB - Background Endoscopic carpal tunnel release (CTR) is an alternative to open CTR, which may have improved wound healing. Corticosteroid injections (CSIs) may increase postoperative wound complications and are commonly used for nonoperative management. Given these competing effects, this study sought to determine whether the timing of CSI prior to endoscopic CTR would influence postoperative wound-complication rates.Methods A national claims database was retrospectively queried for patients undergoing endoscopic CTR between 2010 and 2023. Patients were stratified based on preoperative CSI timing: <1, 1 to 3, 6 to 12 months, with no preoperative CSI within 1 year as a comparator. These were propensity score matched, using demographic and comorbidity factors. Primary outcomes included a composite of infectious and noninfectious wound complications and irrigation and debridement within 3 months postoperatively. Multivariable logistic regression compared patients with and without a recent history of CSI and their association with wound complications.Results In total, 24 013 patients with a history of preoperative CSI were matched to 70 918 patients without a CSI history with good balance. When compared with patients without a CSI history, patients who were administered a CSI < 1 month (1.72 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21-2.38, P = .002]) and 1-3 months (1.48 [95% CI: 1.16-1.86, P = .001]) before their endoscopic CTR were at significantly greater adjusted odds of composite wound complications.Conclusions Endoscopic CTR is associated with equivalent wound complications when compared with those without a preoperative CSI if performed ≥3 months after CSI.
SN - 1558-9447
SN - 1558-9455
ER -