Acupotomy for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome

BACKGROUND: This systematic review program is designed to provide an assessment of the effectiveness and safety of needle-knife therapy for the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). METHODS: A cumulative search till October 2018 will be conducted in the following 8 databases: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, MEDLINE, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biomedical Literature Database, VIP Database, and Wanfang Database, with no language or Publication status restrictions. All randomized controlled trials (RCT) for carpal tunnel syndrome will be considered eligible. The primary outcomes will include changes in the Boston carpal tunnel questionnaire (BCTQ) and visual analogue score (VAS), as well as safety and adverse events. Study inclusion, data extraction, and quality assessment will be done independently by 2 reviewers. If no substantial heterogeneity is detected, a meta-analysis will be performed. Continuous results will be expressed as mean differences or standard average differences, while binary data will be expressed as relative risks. The deviation risk and data synthesis will be assessed using the Review Manager software. RESULTS: This study will provide a high-quality synthesis of BCTQ and VAS to assess the effectiveness and safety of acupotomy for carpal tunnel syndrome patients. CONCLUSION: This systematic review will provide evidence to judge whether acupotomy is an effective intervention for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018108787.