Complex regional pain syndrome and acute carpal tunnel syndrome following radial artery cannulation: a neurological perspective and review of the literature

Medicine (Baltimore). 2015 Jan;94(3):e422. doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000000422.

Abstract

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) associated with acute carpal tunnel syndrome (aCTS) developed in a 38-year-old right-handed man following radial artery cannulation (RAC) during the course of lumbar spine surgery. Inciting events and risk factors that might have led to these complications included: multiple arterial punctures and subsequent hematoma formation, radial artery spasm compounded by aggressive hemostasis, anatomical changes in the wrists related to repetitive manual activities in the workplace, and possible protracted hyperextension of the wrists during perioperative and operative procedure. Although CRPS is considered a rare complication of RAC, the condition is disabling and debilitating, especially when associated with aCTS.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Adult
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / epidemiology
  • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome / etiology*
  • Catheterization / adverse effects*
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndromes / epidemiology
  • Complex Regional Pain Syndromes / etiology*
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Intervertebral Disc Degeneration / surgery
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / surgery
  • Male
  • Radial Artery*
  • Risk Factors
  • Spinal Fusion / methods*