Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

[00:00:07.480] Cubital tunnel syndrome is just like carpal tunnel syndrome, [00:00:11.040] which everybody's heard of, [00:00:12.800] but it's just a different nerve in a different place. [00:00:16.080] Carpal tunnel syndrome is compression of the nerve [00:00:18.880] right here in the carpal tunnel. [00:00:21.160] Cubital tunnel syndrome is up here in the elbow. [00:00:24.840] Now, cubital tunnel syndrome causes numbness and tingling [00:00:28.000] in the ring finger and the small finger. [00:00:31.160] Sometimes that numbness, tingling, and pain [00:00:33.720] radiates up the arm, up to the elbow, or down. [00:00:38.200] Cubital tunnel syndrome causes pinching of that nerve at the elbow, [00:00:41.960] which can cause numbness, tingling, pain. [00:00:44.760] Cubital tunnel syndrome can actually cause weakness in the hand. [00:00:48.560] And if patients start to notice weakness, we get a little concerned [00:00:51.680] because that can actually be permanent. [00:00:54.400] When a patient comes in with numbness and tingling in the hand, [00:00:57.560] I'm always evaluating them for several different nerve compression syndromes. [00:01:02.440] That involves some very specific questions [00:01:04.720] and some very specific physical exam maneuvers. [00:01:08.920] Once I have got that information from the patient [00:01:11.560] and examined them in person, [00:01:13.840] I can usually tell them what symptoms they have, [00:01:16.960] what the problem is, and where it is. [00:01:19.880] Once we talk about that, we talk about how bad it is [00:01:22.680] and what the best treatment plan would be for them. [00:01:25.600] Sometimes it's as simple as something like wearing a brace, [00:01:29.040] or giving an injection of steroids. [00:01:31.320] Other times, the patient would benefit from surgery, [00:01:33.720] and we have that discussion there. [00:01:36.200] Treatment for cubital tunnel syndrome can be from anything as simple as [00:01:39.960] wearing a brace at night to help keep the elbow straight, [00:01:44.240] changing positioning at work. [00:01:46.320] That's where getting to know the patient really helps me [00:01:49.000] because I find out what their work environment is like, [00:01:52.400] what kind of things they do, and how we can modify those activities [00:01:55.560] to help decrease the tension and pressure on the nerve. [00:01:59.760] If the patient qualifies for surgery, [00:02:02.160] I talk them through that whole process, [00:02:04.560] what it involves, what the success rates are, [00:02:07.800] what the complications potentially are. [00:02:10.600] I am a very data-driven surgeon, [00:02:12.960] so I talk to patients about the big studies that have been done [00:02:16.400] with thousands of patients, and what the anticipated success rate is, [00:02:21.200] what success means, [00:02:22.800] and what those potential complications are, [00:02:25.320] as well as talk about how long it usually takes for that nerve to heal itself. [00:02:30.800] My job as a surgeon for cubital tunnel syndrome [00:02:33.680] is to take the pressure off the nerve. [00:02:36.800] That allows the nerve to start to heal itself, [00:02:40.600] and give that sensation and that strength back.