Is carpal tunnel surgery really effective? a new trial will find out.
NCT ID NCT06934187
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether carpal tunnel release surgery actually works better than a placebo surgery for carpal tunnel syndrome. 96 adults with confirmed CTS will be randomly assigned to real surgery or a sham procedure, and neither they nor their doctors will know which they received. The goal is to see if the surgery truly relieves pain and numbness more than just the act of having an operation.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- carpal tunnel release surgery
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could confirm that carpal tunnel release surgery is truly effective, helping guide treatment decisions for millions with carpal tunnel syndrome.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage trial. The placebo effect from surgery can be strong, so the real benefit of the procedure may be smaller than expected. Risks include scarring and nerve injury.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 96 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jan 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2033
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * CTS diagnosed with ENMG, Symptoms typical for CTS, Ability to understand and answer the questionnaires, ≥ 18 years old. Exclusion Criteria: * Recurrent CTS; Ongoing systematic steroid treatment, chemotherapy, or immunomodulatory treatment; Pregnancy or breast feeding; Intrinsic muscle atrophy; Peripheral neuropathies; and Profound cognitive impairment
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Kuopio University Hospital
Kuopio, Northern Savonia, 70200, Finland
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Three shots, one wrist: which injection best eases carpal tunnel?
- Scalpel vs sound waves: two carpal tunnel surgeries go head to head
- Can carpal tunnel surgery restore more than hand function?
- Does nerve healing keep pace with hand recovery after carpal tunnel surgery?
- Retraining the brain to ease carpal tunnel pain: a new approach put to the test
- Can a Two-Session acupuncture treatment match ten sessions for carpal tunnel?