Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Journal of Hand Surgery (British and European Volume)
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by GOCKEL, M.
Right arrow Articles by ALARANTA, H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by GOCKEL, M.
Right arrow Articles by ALARANTA, H.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

Articles

Long-Term Results of Primary Scalenotomy in the Treatment of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome

M. GOCKEL
M. VASTAMÄKI
H. ALARANTA

From the Orthopaedic Hospital of the Invalid Foundation, Helsinki, Finland

Correspondence: Dr M. Gockel, The Orthopaedic Hospital of the Invalid Foundation, Ten holastie 10, FIN 00280, Helsinki, Finland.

A total of 107 patients with thoracic outlet syndrome were reviewed an average of 4.1 years (range 2–11 years) after primary scalenotomy. The sample included 86 women and 21 men, and the mean age at surgery was 41.9 years (range 16–59 years). The three most disturbing pre-operative symptoms were pain at rest (87%), numbness (66%) and lack of power (55%). The post-operative success rate diminished from 71% 1 month after operation to 63% at follow-up. The retirement frequency increased from 6% up to 33% during the follow-up time. It was highest among factory workers at 60%. Of the patients older than 45 years at surgery, 68% were retired at follow-up. The importance of careful selection for operation is emphasized, and also the need to consider vocational rehabilitation before resorting to surgical treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome. We recommend surgical treatment for this disabling disorder, especially for younger patients with clear evidence of thoracic outlet syndrome who are engaged in occupations demanding little repetitive work. The best results have occurred in this group.

Journal of Hand Surgery (British and European Volume), Vol. 19, No. 2, 229-233 (1994)
DOI: 10.1016/0266-7681(94)90174-0
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?