ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the clinical manifestation,therapeutic methods and treatmenteffectiveness of hand contracture due to extravasation injury from peripheral intravenous therapy in children.Methods Data of 6 children who had received treatment for hand contracture in our hospital from March 2004 to September 2011 were retrospectively analyzed.There were 3 boys and 3 girls,aged from 24 to 51 months (average,38 months).Two children underwent extensor tenolysis and dorsal capsular release at the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints.The other 4 children received conservative treatment,including physical therapy (ultrasound and medium frequency pulse) to reduce the hand swelling and peritendinous adhesion,active and passive functional exercise of digital joints and night splint protection.Results The MCP joint could be passively flexed to 90° intraoperatively in 2 children who underwent operation; however the contracture recurred at 2 months and 6 months after operation,respectively,and then the MCP joints were fixed at 0° position.For 4 children who received conservative treatment,although the active flexion of their MCP joints ranged from 30° to 45° during the rehabilitative procedure,recurrence of hand contracture was observed after the cessation of the rehabilitation in all children,and the range of active MCP joints flexion varied from 0° to 15°.Conclusion The mechanism underlying hand contracture due to extravasation injury from peripheral intravenous therapy remains elusive.Either simple conservative or surgical management results in poor functional outcomes.Combined therapy based on different indications for conservative and surgical management may improve the outcomes.