Small trial links saline hydrodissection to six months of carpal tunnel relief

63 wrists assigned to three injection approaches

ScienceAlert reported that 63 wrists from 39 adults were randomly assigned to saline-only hydrodissection, steroid injection without tissue separation, or hydrodissection with steroid. All treatments were ultrasound-guided.

Symptoms reportedly persisted less in the saline-only hydrodissection group through six months, while adding steroid to hydrodissection did not clearly improve results. The study had no dummy-injection group, involved one center, and did not compare the procedure with surgery.

All three treatments initially improved symptoms in this small trial. By six months, the initial benefit in the steroid-only group had largely faded, while relief continued in the saline-only hydrodissection group.

The reported trial associated saline-only ultrasound-guided hydrodissection with symptom relief lasting through six months and with greater reductions in nerve swelling than steroid injection alone.

No sham-injection group or surgical comparison

The result attempts to separate the effect of mechanically freeing tissue around the nerve from the effect of steroid medication. Its small size, six-month follow-up, and lack of a sham-injection group limit what can be concluded about reliability and duration.