Functional and Symptomatic Effects of Vitamin D Supplementation Following Carpal Tunnel Release: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Purpose: Carpal tunnel release (CTR) is the standard surgery for patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) who do not respond to conservative management. Vitamin D is implicated in musculoskeletal and neurological health; evidence suggests it has neuroprotective effects, influencin pain and functional outcomes. This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the impact of postoperative vitamin D supplementation on functional and symptomatic outcomes after CTR.

Methods: Seventy patients with CTS who underwent CTR were randomly assigned to receive postoperative vitamin D supplementation (40,000 IU/week for 4 weeks) or none. Patients were assessed at baseline and 12 weeks postoperatively. The primary outcomes included pain intensity measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), grip strength, and the Thai version of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (Symptom Severity Scale [SSS] and Functional Status Scale [FSS]). Baseline characteristics were compared between groups.

Results: Of the 70 patients, 54 (79.4%) were female, with a mean age of 53.02±8.52 years and mean body mass index of 24.24±3.62 kg/m². Most (93.8%) were right-handed, with right-sided disease in 38 (55.1%) and severe CTS in 39 (57.4%) patients. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. At 12 weeks, there were no statistically significant differences between the vitamin D and control groups in the VAS scores, grip strength, SSS, or FSS. No vitamin D toxicity or hypervitaminosis-related complications were observed.

Conclusions: Postoperative vitamin D supplementation at 40,000 IU/week for 4 weeks did not significantly improve pain, functional status, or symptom severity after CTR. Supplementation was well tolerated with no adverse effects.