Needle Aponeurotomy for Stage IV Dupuytren Contracture: A Wide-Awake First Step Approach in 204 Consecutive Rays.

SUMMARY: Severe forms of Dupuytren disease are difficult to treat. Surgical fasciectomy is often the first choice, despite its high complication rate. At times, amputation is recommended. The authors evaluated the efficacy of minimally invasive needle fasciotomy (needle aponeurotomy) as the first and only treatment for severe (stage IV) Dupuytren contracture using a retrospective chart review of a single surgeon's consecutive experience over 8 years. A total of 204 rays from 165 patients with severe Dupuytren disease with total passive extension digit contracture of 135 degrees or greater were included in the study. Mean follow-up was 22.3 months. Standard goniometric measurements of finger joint contractures were taken before needle aponeurotomy and at follow-up visits. Total passive extension digit and flexion contracture improved significantly at each finger joint. Before the procedure, median flexion contractures were as follows: at the metacarpophalangeal joint, -70 degrees (interquartile range, -80 to -55); at the proximal interphalangeal joint, -75 degrees (interquartile range, -85 to -65); and at the distal interphalangeal joint, -5 degrees (interquartile range, -20 to 0); median total passive extension of digit was -145 degrees (interquartile range, -160 to -135). Flexion contractures after the procedure improved with 74 percent gain at the metacarpophalangeal joint, 32 percent gain at the proximal interphalangeal joint, and 46 percent gain at the distal interphalangeal joint, with 55 percent gain of total passive digit extension overall ( p < 0.001). The study shows that needle aponeurotomy led to significant improvements in joint contractures at all finger joints with minimal adverse effects. Needle aponeurotomy is an effective and safe first-line treatment for severe Dupuytren disease as the sole treatment or as a preliminary step for more invasive procedures if needed. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

Treatment Options for Dupuytren's Disease: Tips and Tricks.

Dupuytren's disease (DD) is a common fibroproliferative condition of the hand. METHODS: Management of DD includes observation, non-operative management, and operative management. Operative treatments include percutaneous needle fasciotomy (PNF), open fasciotomy (OF), Clostridium collagenase histolyticum (CCH) injections, limited fasciectomy (LF) and dermofasciectomy (DF). The various methods of DD treatment are reviewed. RESULTS: We summarize the highlights of each treatment option as well as the strengths and weaknesses. PNF has an immediate improvement, but a higher recurrence rate, potential problematic skin tears, and rare tendon or nerve complications. Limited fasciectomy removes the thickened, diseased tissue but has a more prolonged recovery and has a higher rate of significant complications. Dermofasciectomy has the highest complication rate, and the lowest recurrence. Also, secondary fasciectomy after a previous dermofasciectomy has an unexpected amputation rate as high as 8%. Collagenase injections require two visits, have an increased number of minor side effects such as skin tears, and have rare but significant side effects such as tendon rupture. CONCLUSIONS: This article gives an overview of different treatment options for DD and each of their strengths and weaknesses and provides procedural tips.

Botulinum toxin as an adjunct for severe Dupuytren's contracture treated with collagenase injections.

Even with Dupuytren's proximal interphalangeal joint (PIPJ) contractures successfully released, volar flexor muscle memory can contribute to persistent contracture. We report using botulinum toxin (BoNTA) to the flexor digitorum superficialis muscle (FDS) to reduce flexor tone during recovery. Case Description. Two Collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH) injections were given to a patient with a -90° (PIPJ) contracture and a -35° degree distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ) contracture. At the first CCH injection, 20 µ total of the Botulinum toxin was placed into the FDS muscle. Manipulation occurred at one week. A second injection of CCH followed by manipulation one week later occurred at two months, but no additional BoNTA was given. The final follow-up measurements at 53 months showed a PIPJ of -30° and a DIPJ of 0°. Total active motion improved from 140° to 240°. Outcomes of any treatment for severe Dupuytren's PIPJ contractures of the little finger are unpredictable and are often considered for staged external expansion or even salvage procedures. BoNTA injections weaken flexor tone in tendon repairs and for treating hypertonic muscles after strokes. Conclusion. We hypothesized that BoNTA injection could enhance the outcomes of DC treatment by inhibiting volar flexion forces during the recovery phase. The following case illustrates that using a BoNTA injection may have helped treat a severe PIPJ contracture. BoNTA injections need further research and controlled clinical trials to discover their proper role in Dupuytren's contractures treated via CCH injections, fasciotomies, and fasciectomies.

Collagenase Tenotomy for Dupuytren Boutonniere.

SUMMARY: Treatment of boutonniere Dupuytren disease is rare and is resistant to treatment because of altered tendon dynamics. The authors used a small dose of collagenase clostridium histolyticum for an enzymatic tenotomy of the distal interphalangeal joint and showed that hyperextension at the distal interphalangeal joint improved significantly. Fifteen patients with boutonniere Dupuytren disease with severe proximal interphalangeal joint contractures averaging -69 degrees of extension were included in the study. Ten patients had at least one previous intervention, including surgical fasciectomy, Digit Widget treatment, and needle aponeurotomy. Collagenase clostridium histolyticum enzymatic tenotomy was performed in-office as a wide-awake procedure. All patients received varying doses of collagenase clostridium histolyticum for volar Dupuytren disease enzymatic fasciotomy and 0.1 mg of collagenase clostridium histolyticum into the distal extensor tendon for tenotomy to treat boutonniere deformity at the same time. Collagenase clostridium histolyticum enzymatic tenotomy significantly improved total active motion of the finger by 41.0 degrees (p = 0.001). Loss of extension at both the metacarpophalangeal joint and the proximal interphalangeal joint also improved with gains of 11.7 (p = 0.04) and 20.7 degrees (p = 0.0005) of extension, respectively. The average distal interphalangeal joint hyperextension was improved from 29.7 degrees to 14.0 degrees (p = 0.002). The authors show that collagenase injection led to significant average improvement in joint contracture at all finger joints and significantly increased the arc of motion at the proximal interphalangeal joint and metacarpophalangeal joint. Although collagenase has been previously used for flexion contractures in Dupuytren disease, we believe it has a role in treating the distal interphalangeal joint hyperextension deformity associated with boutonniere deformity in Dupuytren disease as well. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

Evidence-Based Medicine: Options for Dupuytren's Contracture: Incise, Excise, and Dissolve.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After studying this article, the participant should be able to: 1. Understand updates in the basic science, epidemiology, and treatment of Dupuytren's disease. 2. Understand treatment with needle aponeurotomy, collagenase, and fasciectomy. 3. Understand advanced needle techniques for Dupuytren's contracture. 4. Understand the safety and effectiveness of a new treatment, collagenase. SUMMARY: The literature on Dupuytren's disease encompasses many specialties. Its treatment is generally by perforating, excising, or dissolving the affected tissues. This article reviews the changing understanding of this disease and treatment options.

Axillary Web Syndrome: Current Understanding and New Directions for Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Axillary web syndrome (AWS) is a poorly understood but common cause of significant morbidity after axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer. It is characterized by painful scar tissue formation and contracture extending from the axilla down the medial arm which limits shoulder and arm mobility. We sought to gain a better understanding of its pathophysiology and available treatments. Additionally, we present our preliminary experience with 2 novel treatment methods: (1) percutaneous needle cord disruption with fat grafting, (2) Xiaflex injection to the cording. METHODS: In order to gain better understanding of current treatment modalities, we performed a literature search to identify articles that described axillary cording after axillary dissection exclusively for breast cancer. We performed operative percutaneous cord disruption and immediate autologous fat grafting in 18 patients. Xiaflex injection was performed in one patient. Details from the 2 new treatment modalities are described. RESULTS: Described treatments in the literature include physical therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, moist heat, and 1 case of Ascueven Forte. Typically, symptoms lasted from 1 week to 2 years, and most cases resolved by 3 months postoperatively with return to preoperative functionality. We found our 2 new treatment modalities markedly improved arm and shoulder range of motion, overall daily functioning, and pain. Aesthetic outcomes were also improved with softening of the cords. CONCLUSIONS: Axillary web syndrome remains an incompletely understood postoperative phenomenon, which warrants further research. Those patients who develop severe cording often do not respond to traditional therapy and may require more aggressive treatment. Our 2 novel techniques provide alternative options for treating this condition.

The 19th Century Origins of Facial Cosmetic Surgery and John H. Woodbury.

John H. Woodbury was an incredibly entrepreneurial, self-trained dermatologist who, between 1870 and 1909, built an empire of cosmetic surgery institutes in 6 states, with 25 physician/surgeon employees and an advertising budget of $150,000/year (1892 data). Under his management, his surgeons, and perhaps Woodbury himself, performed multiple facial cosmetic surgeries, including early versions of browlifts, frown excisions, lower facelifts, mid-face lifts, rhinoplasties, double-chin reductions, and dimple creation. In addition, Woodbury developed a proprietary soap and cosmetic line, which he sold to Jergens for $212,500 in 1901 (retaining a 10% royalty). Woodbury's story has been unknown until now because this nonacademic concentrated his publishing in articles and advertisements in lay magazines. Woodbury's life ended in bankruptcy, litigation, and suicide when the corporate practice of medicine and advertising were made illegal. In his legal proceedings, Woodbury conceded that he was not a doctor, although he went by the title. Regardless, his surgical innovations are of major historical significance, as these cosmetic procedures are the first of their kind to be noted in the lay or academic press and predate, by years and even decades, the previously earliest known cosmetic surgeries in the United States.

Minimally invasive options in Dupuytren's contracture: aponeurotomy, enzymes, stretching, and fat grafting.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES: After studying this article, the participant should be able to: (1) Perform needle aponeurotomy, fat grafting, Digit Widget insertion, and collagenase injection for Dupuytren's cords. (2) Describe how cords can be stretched without surgery. (3) Explain to patients the risks and benefits of these new alternatives of treatments. SUMMARY: Surgery for Dupuytren's contracture used to be the only alternative of treatment. The past 5 years have seen the widespread adoption of minimally invasive treatments in the form of needle aponeurotomy and collagenase injection to disrupt the cords and restore range of motion. Even newer and perhaps as effective treatments such as fat grafting and mechanical stretching with the Digit Widget may also end up being important tools of treatment. The reader will be introduced to all of these modalities with text, illustration, and videos.

Correction of contracture and recurrence rates of Dupuytren contracture following invasive treatment: the importance of clear definitions.

PURPOSE: To call attention to the wide variety of definitions for recurrence that have been employed in studies of different invasive procedures for the treatment of Dupuytren contracture and how this important limitation has contributed to the wide range of reported results. METHODS: This study reviewed definitions and rates of contracture correction and recurrence in patients undergoing invasive treatment of Dupuytren contracture. A literature search was carried out in January 2011 using the terms "Dupuytren" AND ("fasciectomy" OR "fasciotomy" OR "dermofasciectomy" OR "aponeurotomy" OR "aponeurectomy") and limited to studies in English. RESULTS: The search returned 218 studies, of which 21 had definitions, quantitative results for contracture correction and recurrence, and a sample size of at least 20 patients. Definitions for correction of contracture and recurrence varied greatly among articles and were almost always qualitative. Percentages of patients who achieved correction of contracture (ie, responder rate) when evaluated at various times after completion of surgery ranged from 15% to 96% for fasciectomy/aponeurectomy. Responder rates were not reported for fasciotomy/aponeurotomy. Recurrence rates ranged from 12% to 73% for patients treated with fasciectomy/aponeurectomy and from 33% to 100% for fasciotomy/aponeurotomy. Review of these reports underscored the difficulty involved in comparing correction of contracture and recurrence rates for different surgical interventions because of differences in definition and duration of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Clearly defined objective definitions for correction of contracture and for recurrence are needed for more meaningful comparisons of results achieved with different surgical interventions. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Recurrence after surgical intervention for Dupuytren contracture is common. This study, which evaluated reported rates of recurrence following surgical treatment of Dupuytren contracture, provides clinicians with practical information regarding expected long-term outcomes of surgical treatment choices. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Economic and decision analysis III.

Nerve and arterial supply to the hand in Vesalius's De Humani Corporis Fabrica.

BACKGROUND: Belgian anatomist Andreas Vesalius, in his groundbreaking medical atlas De Humani Corporis Fabrica, 1543, committed to paper two anatomical errors relating to the vascular and nervous system of the hand. In the diagrams, he depicts a highly irregular symmetrical sensory innervation of the median and ulnar nerves. He also fails to mention or illustrate the deep or superficial palmar arches.

Surgical complications associated with fasciectomy for dupuytren's disease: a 20-year review of the English literature.

OBJECTIVE: Excisional surgery is the mainstay of treatment of Dupuytren's disease. Although outcomes are generally good, complications are common. The objective of this study was to evaluate intraoperative and postoperative complications associated with fasciectomy for Dupuytren's disease. METHODS: A literature search was conducted to identify published, original research that reported surgical complications associated with fasciectomy from 1988 to 2008. Search results were manually evaluated for relevance. Complication rates according to types of disease (primary or recurrent disease) and according to time (intraoperative vs postoperative) and type were collated. RESULTS: A total of 143 articles were identified; 41 met inclusion criteria, and of these, 28 reported overall surgical complication rates ranging from 3.6% to 39.1%. Major complications occurred in 15.7%, including digital nerve injury 3.4%, digital artery injury 2%, infection 2.4%, hematoma 2.1%, and complex regional pain syndrome 5.5%. Other common, more minor injuries included flare reaction in 9.9%, wound healing complications in 22.9%, and a range of other complications. In the few (n = 3) studies in which primary and recurrent diseases were directly compared, digital nerve injuries and digital artery injuries were approximately 10 times more common in patients with recurrent disease (20%) than those with primary disease (approximately 2%), though the numbers are too small for statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: A review of published reports by surgeons shows that surgical fasciectomy for Dupuytren's disease has a high number of complications. Surgeons should be mindful of the potential for intraoperative and postoperative complications and counsel their patients accordingly.