ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the Thompson procedure in the treatment of chronic mallet finger with tendon defect.Methods From July 2014 to October 2016,9 cases of chronic mallet finger with tendon defect were treated by Thompson procedure at Department of Hand Surgery,Wuhan Puai Hospital.They were 4 males and 5 females,aged from 25 to 56 years (average,36 years).Their disorder was on the left side in 3 cases and on the right side in 6 ones,involving 2 index fingers,3 middle fingers,3 ring fingers and one little finger.The ranges of motion (ROM) for distal and proximal interphalangeal joints were measured after operation.Operative complications were observed and recorded.Dargan functional assessment was used to evaluate the outcomes at the final follow-up.Results All the 9 patients were followed up for 5 to 36 months (average,16.5months).The wounds healed primarily without such complications as infection,skin breakage,abnormal fingertip sensation or nail deformity.All cases of mallet finger malformation were corrected.About 10 weeks after operation,one case presented with mild mallet finger malformation which was completely corrected after active fixation for 8 weeks.The Dargan assessment at the final follow-up showed 8 excellent and one good cases.Conclusion Thompson procedure can lead to satisfactory outcomes and limited complications in the treatment of chronic mallet finger with tendon defect.