Arms hard and lumpy after CTS
After my mums CTS on both wrists her arms have turned very hard and lumpy. It is not painful but after 7 months since the surgery they are hard like a rock up to her elbows (so elbows down to wrist).
Has any one had this happen or know of anyone who has experienced this? The Dr who did the surgery is shocked and has never seen anything like it. Appreciate any feedback.
Thanks for your reply JB. Yes the original pain has been fixed but she can’t lay her right hand completely flat and there is still some numbness in both hands (fingers). She had both arms done at the same time.
If it was a severe CTS before surgery then some residual numbness at this point is not unusual. Not being able to fully straighten the fingers is more complicated and may be due to other problems or could be a result of scarring and stiffness form the surgery - or both.The lumpy/solid forearms however don't ring any immediate bells with me so I would guess they are coincidental. It would probably be a good idea for her to consult the original surgeon as it may be more obvious what the problem is if you can see it. JB
The surgeon was dumbfounded when he saw my mums arms, so he is requesting she gets a CT Scan. Looks like it’s not a very common side effect as I can’t find any thing similar on dr google.
I still think it's most likely to be something coincidental, but you never knw. I would love to hear what the eventual diagnosis is. JB
I've never seen visible side efects of surgery in the forearms. ALl the complications I am aware of occur in the wrist and hand, so I would guess this is probably something conicidental. Presumably the carpal tunnel procedure itself was uneventful and the original symptoms have gone away? JB