Cubital Tunnel Syndrome MRI: Proof of Concept
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome and Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Proof of Concept Study
IRAS ID
260445
Contact name
Ryckie Wade
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Leeds Teaching Hospitals
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
n/a, n/a
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Cubital Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) results from compression of the ulnar nerve at the elbow (colloquially termed the “funny bone”). CTS affects up to 6% of the population and 6000 patients undergo surgery annually in the UK. Surgery is the only proven treatment for CTS, although up to 30% of patients do not improve. Therefore, there is a pressing need to develop a reliable test to diagnose CTS to improve the selection of patients for surgery.
New techniques in the field of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allow the visualisation of nerve structure and function. Diffusion tensor MRI, also known as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), can diagnose CTS with superior diagnostic accuracy5 and could enable the reliable diagnostic of CTS, improving the selection of patients for surgery.
Our study will include healthy volunteers (to refine the scanning sequence) and patients undergoing surgery for CTS. Patients will be scanned preoperatively and postoperatively using cutting-edge diffusion MRI techniques. The primary outcome will be change in the MRI-derived diffusion metrics following surgery. Secondary outcomes will consider how MRI relates to patient-reported outcomes and conventional clinical tests (ultrasound and nerve conduction studies).
Leeds is the ideal location for this research because a) Leeds institutions are the most highly cited organisations in musculoskeletal research, b) Leeds houses the National Centre for Hyperpolarized MRI and a state-of-the-art MRI scanner, and c) Leeds is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for complex upper limb surgery.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NW/0324
Date of REC Opinion
4 Jul 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion