To investigate the efficacy and safety of Hoffmann’s endoscopic ulnar neurolysis in the treatment of cubital tunnel syndrome.

The clinical data of 13 patients with cubital tunnel syndrome who underwent endoscopic ulnar neurolysis from June 2016 to September 2020 in the First Hospital of Peking University were analyzed retrospectively. The surgical instrument was the cubital release kit, and Professor Hoffmann’s method was used in the operation. McGowan classification was used to classify the patients before operation. The patients were followed up by telephone and outpatient department after operation and evaluated by modified Bishop score.

Among the 13 cases, 11 cases underwent ulnar nerve decompression alone, 2 cases with small cyst compression underwent cyst resection at the same time. Postoperative pathology showed that 1 case was synovial cyst of elbow joint and 1 case was ganglion cyst. All patients were discharged from the hospital 2-5 d postoperatively. One patient had incision dehiscence and healed well after suturing again. The other patients had no complications. Numbness was relieved in all patients on the second day after operation. After 5-56 months of follow-up, the modified Bishop score was excellent in 5 cases, good in 5 cases, fair in 3 cases and poor in 0 case. The excellent and good rate of modified Bishop score was 100% (6/6) in McGowan grade 1 group and 57% (4/7) in McGowan grade 2 group. All the patients returned to work in 14-21 d after surgery.

Endoscopic cubital tunnel decompression is a minimally invasive surgery, the effect of nerve decompression is equivalent to that of open surgery, with less postoperative short-term complications and quick recovery, especially suitable for patients with primary cubital tunnel syndrome.