Endoscopic carpal tunnel release--current status.

Endoscopic carpal tunnel release is one of the most controversial topics in hand surgery today. Many surgeons have reservations in doing carpal tunnel release endoscopically because its merits and demerits have not been clearly defined. This article describes the various techniques now available to perform endoscopic carpal tunnel release. The anatomic basis for a single-portal technique using the Concept Carpal Tunnel Release Kit is described in detail. The results of 100 postoperative cases indicate that endoscopic carpal tunnel release was superior to the open technique in regard to postoperative morbidity and patient satisfaction in 92% of this patient group.