Hand Function Outcome After the Application of Transfer Energy Capacitive and Resistive on Post-burn Patients Presented With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Official title

Effect of Transfer Energy Capacitive and Resistive on Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Post Burn

Overview

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is a common entrapment neuropathy that can develop as a secondary complication following deep burns involving the hand or wrist. Post-burn CTS arises due to factors such as fibrosis, edema, and scar contracture, which may increase pressure on the median nerve within the carpal tunnel, leading to significant pain, sensory disturbances, and impaired hand function Recent studies support the effectiveness of Transfer Energy Capacitive and Resistive (TECAR ) therapy in idiopathic CTS, showing improvements in pain, symptom severity, and function, as measured by validated tools such as the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). A study reported that both TECAR and ultrasound groups showed significant symptom improvement after treatment, although ultrasound had more sustained effects on median nerve cross-sectional area at 3 months

Detailed description

This study will involve 52 patients diagnosed with CTS post-burn; they will receive TECAR as an intervention. The outcome measures include ( VAS, Arabic version of Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire, and Camry Digital Handgrip Dynamometer

Interventions

• Device Transfer Energy Capacitive and Resistive (TECAR) [ SMART TECAR }
  TECAR therapy at a frequency of 0.5 MHz and intensity of 30 to 50% and medium Capacitive Energy Transfer electrode (60 mm), 5 min capacitive (CAP) and 10 min resistive (RES), The passive electrode was fixed to the dorsum of the hand while the active electrode was moved in a circular manner from the proximal carpal tunnel to the median nerve pathway of the palm in three sessions per week for two weeks
• Other Standard Hand Rehabilitation [ US }
  US using a 3 MHz probe at a dose of 1.5 watts/cm2 for 5 min intermittently for 2 weeks, 5 times a week, plus mobility and strengthening exercises

Primary outcome measures

• Symptom Severity [Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks]
• Functional Status [Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks.]
• Grip Strength [Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks.]

Secondary outcome measures (1)

• Pain Intensity [Time frame: Baseline and 2 weeks.]

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion criteria

• Participant is between 20 and 40 years of age.
• Diagnosed with mild to moderate carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS).
• History of an upper limb burn, with the percentage of the Total Body Surface Area (TBSA) ranging from 20% to 25%.
• Upper limb burn is diagnosed as a 2nd or 3rd-degree burn complicated with carpal tunnel syndrome.
• Carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis is clinically confirmed using physical examination, including a positive Tinel's sign and positive Phalen's test.
• Participant provides written informed consent before enrollment.

Exclusion criteria

• History of double crush syndrome, cervical radiculopathy, or fibromyalgia.
• History of wrist fracture or distal radius fracture.
• Diagnosis of systemic or local diseases that contribute to peripheral neuropathy, including Diabetes Mellitus or rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
• Diagnosis of hypothyroidism, skin diseases, or peripheral vascular diseases.
• Current or past history of cancer.
• Use of a hand or wrist splint within the past three months.
• Presence of an implanted pacemaker or electrical prosthesis.

Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.

Healthy volunteers: No

Study design

Allocation

Randomized

Model

Parallel assignment

Masking

Single blind

Primary purpose

Treatment

Study locations

Egypt · 1 center

• QWAM physio clinic — Al Mansurah

Publications

• Yeste-Fabregat M, Baraja-Vegas L, Vicente-Mampel J, Perez-Bermejo M, Bautista Gonzalez IJ, Barrios C. Acute Effects of Tecar Therapy on Skin Temperature, Ankle Mobility and Hyperalgesia in Myofascial Pain Syndrome in Professional Basketball Players: A Pilot Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Aug 19;18(16):8756. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168756. PMID 34444508
• Vahdatpour, B., Ghasemi, H. R., & Taheri, P. (2023). Effectiveness of TECAR Therapy on Clinical Symptoms and Neurophysiological Parameters of Patients with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Middle East Journal of Rehabilitation and Health Studies, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.5812/mejrh-134171
• Tezen O, Bilir EE, Uzun O, Yaniktas D, Senturk B, Yasar E. Evaluation of the efficacy of transfer energy capacitive and resistive therapy in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Turk J Med Sci. 2024 Oct 7;54(6):1302-1309. doi: 10.55730/1300-0144.5913. eCollection 2024. PMID 39734340
• Tashiro Y, Hasegawa S, Yokota Y, Nishiguchi S, Fukutani N, Shirooka H, Tasaka S, Matsushita T, Matsubara K, Nakayama Y, Sonoda T, Tsuboyama T, Aoyama T. Effect of Capacitive and Resistive electric transfer on haemoglobin saturation and tissue temperature. Int J Hyperthermia. 2017 Sep;33(6):696-702. doi: 10.1080/02656736.2017.1289252. Epub 2017 Feb 19. PMID 28139939
• Tezen O, Ata AM, Uzun O, Cakir F, Yasar E. Comparison of the effectiveness of ultrasound and transfer energy capacitive and resistive (TECAR) therapy in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome. Lasers Med Sci. 2025 Mar 19;40(1):147. doi: 10.1007/s10103-025-04412-z. PMID 40106005
• Szabo DA, Neagu N, Teodorescu S, Predescu C, Sopa IS, Panait L. TECAR Therapy Associated with High-Intensity Laser Therapy (Hilt) and Manual Therapy in the Treatment of Muscle Disorders: A Literature Review on the Theorised Effects Supporting Their Use. J Clin Med. 2022 Oct 19;11(20):6149. doi: 10.3390/jcm11206149. PMID 36294470
• Rosario NB, De Jesus O. Electrodiagnostic Evaluation of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. 2023 Aug 23. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2026 Jan-. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562235/ PMID 32965906
• Ribeiro, S., Henriques, B., & Cardoso, R. (2018). To cite this article Samuel Ribeiro, Bebiana Henriques, Ricardo Cardoso. The Effectiveness of Tecar Therapy in Musculoskeletal Disorders. In International Journal of Public Health and Health Systems (Vol. 3, Issue 5). http://www.openscienceonline.com/journal/ijphhs

Identifiers

NCT: NCT07660328 · TECAR on post burn CTS

Primary sources (government registries)

• ClinicalTrials.gov (US NIH)

View this study on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗