Results
The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the patients are shown in Table 1. Age, gender, BMI values, occupational status, duration of complaints, history of repetitive trauma, dominant hand, and the treated hand were similar in both the NT and control groups (p>0.05).
The VAS and DHI values are shown in Table 2. The pre-treatment VAS scores were similar in both groups (7.88±1.18 vs 7.61±1.24). The VAS scores of the first month follow-up (1.66±0.90 vs 4.22±1.47) and the 12th month follow-up (1.66±1.78 vs 3.83±2.09) in the NT group were statistically significantly lower than those of the control group (p<0.001 and p=0.002, respectively).
The DHI scores were higher in the NT group than in the control group at baseline (40.55±13.11vs 26.83±13.16). The DHI scores of the first month follow-up were found to be lower in the NT group than in the control group (8.94±5.81 vs 16.61±10.27) (p=0.009). The DHI scores of the 12th month follow-up were lower in the NT group than in the control group, but the difference was not found to be significant (8.83±11.49 vs 12.66±7.89) (p=0.252).
In the NT group, the VAS scores of the first month (1.66±0.90) and 12th month follow-up (1.66±1.78) were significantly lower than baseline (7.88±1.18) (p<0.001), with no significant difference between the first and 12th month of follow-up (p=1.00). In the control group, the VAS scores of the first month (4.22±1.47) and 12th month follow-up (3.83±2.09) were significanly lower than baseline (p<0.001) with no significant difference determined between the first month and 12th month follow-up (p=0.360).
A similar significant relationship was found for DHI values. In the NT group, the DHI scores were decreased at 1 month (8.94±5.81) and 12 months (8.83±11.49) compared to baseline (40.55±13.11) (p<0.001), with no statistically significant difference determined between the 1 and 12 month scores (p=0.965). In the control group, the DHI scores of the baseline were significantly higher than the DHI scores of the first month (16.61±10.27) and 12th month (12.66±7.89) (p<0.001), with no statistically significant difference determined between the 1 and 12 month scores (p=0.194) (Table 2, Figure 1-2)
The Finkelstein test was positive in all the patients at the first evaluation. At the first month follow-up, no patients in the NT group tested positive, but for half of the patients in the control group, the test was positive. The difference between the two groups in respect of the first month follow-up Finkelstein test positivity was found to be statistically significant (p=0.001). At the 12th month follow-up Finkelstein test positivity was 16.7% in the NT group and 50% in the control group, but statistical significance was not demonstrated between the two groups (Table 3).
Treatment success in the NT group was 88% and 83% at the first and 12th month follow-up examinations, respectively. In the control group, the treatment success rate was 55% and 44%, respectively.