Purpose : We report two cases of bifid median nerve in the carpal tunnel because of the exceptional rarity of this event. This does not abolish the possibility of the existence of the second branch and the inspection of the carpal tunnel’s content should be done with special care.

Materials and methods : 530 patients with carpal tunnel syndrome were operated in our clinic in the time period 1994 to 2002 with the open and endoscopic method. 351 of them were women and 179 men. Among these patients two had a bifid median nerve in the carpal tunnel. These two patients were married women whose children had dysplasia of different organs.

Results : In both cases the patients were relieved from the symptoms of pressure after the release of the transverse carpal ligament and the epineurium.

Conclusions : It is not known if the existence of a bifid median nerve is a reason of carpal tunnel syndrome. However it is an exceptional rare event and we must take special care to recognize the second branch so as to have the same handling as the first one. Finally, we must examine the children of these parents for the existence of organs dysplasia.

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the arthroscopic method in the stiffness of elbow after osteoarthritis or posttraumatic arthritis.

Materials and methods : In the time period January 1999 to December 2001, 11 patients with primary osteoarthritis and posttraumatic arthritis of the elbow were treated in our clinic with the arthroscopic method. All patients had stiffness and pain. Nine of them were men and two women with a mean age of 46 years (range 28–56 years). Average preoperative flexion was to 1150 (range 90 – 1400), and average extension loss was −250 (range 15 – 350). Mean follow-up was 30,3 months.

Results : The range of motion showed a progressive increase until 1 year after surgery. However, after 1 year, the range of motion showed little additional increase, especially in laborers. The range of motion acquired during surgery usually was the same range that patients achieved during the rehabilitation period. Average postoperative flexion was to 1380 (range 120 – 1430) and average extension was to 50 (range 0 – 120). The range of motion showed more improvement in patients whose duration of symptoms was less than 1 year than in those whose duration of symptoms was longer than 1 year. All patients had a significant decrease in pain and 5 of them complete relief of pain.

Conclusions : The arthroscopic surgery in the stiffness of elbow after osteoarthritis and posttraumatic arthritis is a minimally invasive procedure with significant results in range of motion and pain relief.