Cubital Tunnel Syndrome

The purpose of this study is to investigate and compare the efficacy of space-correction kinesio taping and neural technique kinesio taping-when added to a home exercise program-versus placebo taping with exercise in individuals with ulnar neuropathy at the elbow. Ulnar neuropathy at the elbow is the second most common entrapment neuropathy of the upper extremity. It leads to symptoms such as numbness and tingling in the fourth and fifth digits, hand muscle weakness, and reduced manual dexterity, which negatively impact quality of life. Conservative treatment options include activity modification, nerve gliding exercises, and kinesio taping. Although kinesio taping is widely used in conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome, evidence regarding the comparative efficacy of different taping techniques in ulnar nerve entrapment remains limited. In this study, eligible participants will be randomly assigned to three groups: Space-Correction Kinesio Taping + Exercise Group Neural Technique Kinesio Taping + Exercise Group Placebo Kinesio Taping + Exercise Group The taping intervention will be administered over 3 weeks for a total of 3 sessions (1 session per week, with tape applied for 3 days followed by a 4-day tape-free interval). All participants will receive activity modification education and perform home ulnar nerve gliding exercises twice daily (10 repetitions per session) for 3 weeks. Outcome evaluations-including symptom severity, clinical parameters, and electrophysiological measurements-will be conducted at baseline, at the end of week 3 (post-treatment), and at the 3-month follow-up.

Cubital tunnel syndrome is a condition that occurs when the ulnar nerve, which runs along the inside of the elbow, becomes irritated or compressed. It can cause pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in the hand and arm. The goal of this clinical trial is to investigate whether early surgery leads to better outcomes than a non-surgical treatment approach using an elbow night splint for mild-to-moderate cubital tunnel syndrome in adults. This study aims to answer the following questions: * Does earlier surgical intervention improve patient-reported pain, symptoms, and function more than treatment with an elbow night splint after one year? * How do symptoms, function, nerve function, and ultrasound findings compare between the two treatments over two years? * How often do people who initially receive treatment with an elbow night splint end up needing surgery? * Researchers will compare early surgery with treatment using an elbow night splint to see how the two approaches affect symptoms and function. Participants will... * be randomly assigned to have surgery or to receive treatment with an elbow night splint. * have a physical examination at each study visit. * have tests of nerve function and ultrasound imaging of the elbow. * answer questionnaires about their symptoms, pain, and arm and hand function. * attend appointments at the start of the study, and at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years.

This study investigates whether early changes observed during the first weeks of hand and upper extremity rehabilitation can predict patient outcomes months later. In rehabilitation practice, clinicians make numerous decisions each session regarding exercise type, frequency, duration, and treatment approach. Most of these decisions are currently made without systematic longitudinal data. This study addresses three fundamental questions using data collected during routine clinical care: (1) Can the rate of improvement in the first weeks of treatment predict functional status months later, across both session-based and milestone-based time points? (2) Are there meaningfully different recovery profiles among hand rehabilitation patients? (3) Is there measurable variation in clinical decision-making among patients with similar profiles, and does this variation relate to outcomes? A digital patient monitoring platform developed by the principal investigator, a physiotherapist and academic researcher specializing in hand rehabilitation serves as the data collection infrastructure. The platform records standard clinical assessment measures in a structured format and has been in active clinical use at Hacettepe University prior to this study. For research purposes, the system has been expanded to include structured capture of patient-reported outcomes, patient global impression of change, treatment protocol coding, home exercise adherence, and automated calculation of early response metrics. This is a 12-month prospective observational cohort study enrolling a minimum of 60 patients. Data are stored securely on the university's institutional network. Patients are anonymized using identification codes. The study is subject to Hacettepe University Ethics Committee approval and participant informed consent. Findings are expected to generate evidence supporting data-driven clinical decision-making in rehabilitation and to provide a feasibility foundation for a larger multi-center study.

Cubital tunnel syndrome is the second most common compression neuropathy. In severe cases, functional recovery, even with surgery, is often poor. Therefore, alternative adjunct treatments capable of increasing the speed of nerve regeneration are much needed.

This study aims to investigate the effect of kinesiological taping, applied in addition to exercise, on clinical symptoms in patients diagnosed with Cubital Tunnel Syndrome. The patients will be randomized into three groups (exercise, exercise + kinesiological taping, exercise + sham taping) and will be evaluated at the 1st and 3rd months after a 3-week treatment period.