Cubital tunnel syndrome is a compression or irritation of the Ulnar nerve tunnel from inside the elbow to the bone. The ulna nerves are responsible for the sensation of the little finger, part of the ring finger, and drive the small muscles of the hand.
Most cases occur without an obvious cause, such as tunnel narrowing, arthritis of the elbow joint or an old injury. However, there are some symptoms that may be present. Maybe there’s no reason at all.
Symptoms
Numbness or tingling in the little ring finger is an early symptom. It can be provoked by bending forward with the elbow or by keeping the elbow in a bent position. Numbness can be intermittent or constant. In the later stages the numbness is constant and the hand becomes very weak. Sleeping with elbows bent can make the problem worse.
Visible loss of muscle mass, in severe cases, is felt on the back of the hand (thumb and first finger) and loss of strength and dexterity. The examination includes X-rays of the elbow and examinations of nerve conductivity.
Cubital tunnel release treatment is a surgical procedure performed to relieve pressure on a trapped ulnar nerve that presents inside of the elbow.
This nerve causes an uncomfortable tingling sensation when you hit your elbow accidentally to something, and it is often referred to as your funny bone.
Cubital Tunnel Release Surgery is an outpatient procedure usually performed when the ulnar nerve gets compressed and becomes inflamed and even damaged over time, which may need surgical intervention to treat this condition.
Our Cubital Tunnel Release Treatment Clinics are available in Central London, North London, Stanmore, Pinner, Rickmansworth, Watford etc.
One of the Uk’s best plastic & cubital tunnel release surgeons, Neil Toft, explains everything you need to know about this procedure. The ulnar nerve can compress and become inflamed or damaged over time and needs to be treated with this surgery. The Cubital Tunnel Release Surgery is carried out under general anesthesia or regional anesthesia.
The expert cubital tunnel release surgeon and anesthetist will discuss the appropriate technique with you. Under general anesthetic, the patient sleeps when the procedure is complete and a local anesthetic is injected into the wound to anesthetise the area for six hours. In regional anesthesia, the anesthetic is injected into the nerves at the top of the arm using an ultrasound machine. This means that the whole arm is deaf for up to 12 hours during the procedure.
During the procedure, an incision is made on the inside of the elbow. The pinched nerve is examined to see if there are signs of nerve scars or swelling of the nerve. The nerve is then identified and the overlying tissue is released.
In some cases, when the elbow is bent the nerve tends to erupt, so is made the decision to move the transposed nerve from the bony prominence on the inside of the elbow to the epicodyle at the front. The wounds are dissolved and a dressing or soft dressing is applied. If the patient goes home the same day after the operation, pain-relieving tablets are taken for mild discomfort.
The cubital tunnel release surgery is performed to alleviate the feeling of “Pins & Needles” commonly affecting the little and ring fingers. This feeling could be annoying when your elbow is bent and while stretching the funny bones and nerves. The tingling in the fingers can occur at night when the elbows are bent and disturb sleep that could be minimised through the release.
Our Cubital Tunnel Release Treatment Clinics are available in Central London, North London, Stanmore, Pinner, Rickmansworth, Watford etc.
