Purpose
We aimed to report the incidence of peripheral nerve decompression surgery during
pregnancy and 12 months after delivery in Finland from 1999 to 2017.
Methods
Using nationwide data from the Finnish Care Register for Health Care and the Finnish
Medical Birth Register, all women of potentially childbearing age (15–49 years) who
underwent peripheral nerve decompression surgery or had a pregnancy ending in delivery
from January 1, 1999, to December 31, 2017, were included. Incidence rates and incidence
rate ratios for operations were calculated for both childbearing women and the age-adjusted
general female population.
Results
In total, 308 women underwent carpal tunnel release (CTR) during pregnancy, and an
additional 675 women underwent CTR within 12 months after delivery. The incidence
of CTR during pregnancy was 38 per 100,000 person-years, with an incidence rate ratio
of 0.5 (95% CI, 0.4–0.6), when compared with that in the general population. Women
who were active smokers before becoming pregnant were more likely to undergo CTR during
pregnancy (odds ratio, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.8–3.0). The highest rates of CTR were observed
during the first trimester. The incidence of CTR in the first postpartum year increased
steadily during the first 4 months to 79 per 100,000 person-years. During the latter
8 months, incidences were similar to those in the general population (incidence rate
ratio, 1.0; 95% CI, 0.9–1.2). Women who smoked were more likely to undergo CTR during
the first postpartum year (odds ratio, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.3–1.9).
Conclusions
Carpal tunnel release is performed more rarely during pregnancy than in the age-matched
general population. Postpartum incidences increased toward the end of the first year,
reaching those observed in the general population after the first 4 months. Smoking
before pregnancy is associated with increased incidences of CTR both during pregnancy
and the first year after delivery.
Type of study/level of evidence
Prognostic II.
Key words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 13, 2023
Accepted:
January 4,
2023
Received:
July 28,
2022
Publication stage
In Press Corrected ProofFootnotes
No benefits in any form have been received or will be received related directly to this article.
Identification
Copyright
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