Treatment of trigger finger: randomized clinical trial comparing the methods of corticosteroid injection, percutaneous release and open surgery.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of CS injection, percutaneous pulley release and conventional open surgery for treating trigger finger in terms of cure, relapse and complication rates. METHODS: One hundred and thirty-seven patients with a total of 150 fingers were randomly assigned and allocated into one of the treatment groups, with treatments allocated into 150 opaque and sealed envelopes. We included patients >15 years of age with a trigger on any finger of the hand (Types II-IV) and used a minimum follow-up time of 6 months. The primary outcome measures were cures, relapses and failures. RESULTS: Forty-nine patients were assigned to the conservative group to undergo CS injections, whereas 45 and 56 were assigned to undergo percutaneous release and outpatient open surgery, respectively. The trigger cure rate for patients in the injection method group was 57%, and wherever necessary, two injections were administered, which increased the cure rate to 86%. For the percutaneous and open release methods, remission of the trigger was achieved in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: The percutaneous and open surgery methods displayed similar effectiveness and proved superior to the conservative CS method regarding the trigger cure and relapse rates. Trial registration. Current Controlled Trials, http://www.controlled-trials.com/, ISRCTN19255926.

Anatomical study of the A1 pulley: length and location by means of cutaneous landmarks on the palmar surface.

PURPOSE: The objectives of this study were to evaluate palmar surface parameters to identify the exact location of the proximal edge of the flexor tendon A1 pulley relative to the digital palmar crease of the index, middle, ring, and little fingers and to evaluate the length of this pulley. METHODS: We studied 280 fingers on 70 hands from 35 fresh human cadavers, initially by measuring the distance between the digital-palmar and proximal interphalangeal creases (measure A), followed by dissection of the fingers and measurement of the distance between the proximal edge of the A1 pulley and the digital-palmar crease (measure B) and the length of the A1 pulley (measure C). We carried out statistical analysis using Hotelling's multivariate T(2)-test and the paired-samples t-test. RESULTS: We found no statistically significant difference between measures A and B in each finger (p > .05). The mean lengths, in tenths of millimeters, were as follows: measure A: index finger 22.0 mm, middle finger 24.4 mm, ring finger 22.0 mm, and little finger 17.9 mm; measure B: index finger 21.9 mm, middle finger 24.2 mm, ring finger 22.3 mm, and little finger 18.1 mm. The average lengths of the A1 pulley were: index finger 9.8 mm, middle finger 10.7 mm, ring finger 9.6 mm, and little finger 8.1 mm. CONCLUSIONS: The distance between the digital-palmar and proximal interphalangeal creases may be used as a cutaneous landmark on the palmar surface for the exact location of the proximal edge of the A1 pulley in the palm of the hand, thereby ensuring greater safety in surgical procedures such as percutaneous release of trigger finger.

Treatment of reducible unstable fractures of the distal radius in adults: a randomised controlled trial of De Palma percutaneous pinning versus bridging external fixation.

BACKGROUND: At present, there is no conclusive evidence regarding the best treatment method for reducible unstable fractures of the distal radius. This study compared the effectiveness of two methods used in surgical treatment of such fractures: percutaneous pinning and external fixation. METHODS: We randomly allocated 100 patients into two groups treated surgically with modified De Palma percutaneous pinning and bridging external fixation. Independent but not blinded evaluators administered the DASH quality-of-life questionnaire at postoperative months 6 and 24, performed functional assessment of pain, range of motion, and palm grip strength, and radiographic examinations (volar and radial angle, and height of the radius) before the operation, immediately afterwards, and at 6 and 24 months postoperative. Modified De Palma percutaneous pinning patients used an above-elbow cast whereas external fixation group had unrestricted elbow motion after surgery. Patients who for any reason demonstrated treatment failure or required additional interventions were followed up and their results were included in the group into which these patients had initially been randomised according to the intention-to-treat principle. A significance level of 5% (alpha = 0.05). was used for all statistical tests, such that tests presenting a p-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Ninety one (58.8 mean age and 66 participants were female) were included in the final assessment at 24 months. The DASH questionnaire evaluation showed a statistically significant result favouring the De Palma group (mean difference = -7.1 p = 0.044) after six months, but this was not maintained at 24 months. There were no statistically differences between the groups with respect to palm grip strength. Analysis of the range-of-motion limitation index (uninjured side minus affected side motion of) showed a statistical difference (mean difference = 2.4 p = 0.043) favoring the external fixator group with regard to the supination movement 6 months after the operation; however, this was not maintained at 24 months. The final results of the radiographic evaluation were similar for the two groups. Overall, five patients developed complications: two with De Palma pinning and three with external fixation. CONCLUSION: There was a small statistically significant difference favouring the De Palma method in early functional at 6 months according to the DASH questionnaire, and for supination movement favouring the fixator group. However, both were not clinical relevant. By 24 months the groups were similar for all outcomes TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN04892785.

Estudo populacional das forças das pinças polpa-a-polpa, trípode e lateral / Populational study of tip, palmar and lateral pinch strength

Foram mensuradas as forças das pinças polpa-a-polpa, trípode e lateral em 315 indivíduos adultos do sexo masculino e feminino (630 mäos, com a idade variando dos 15 aos 74 anos), sem nenhuma patologia nos membros superiores ou patologia sistêmica que afetasse a força de pinça. Para as medições foi utilizado o dinamômetro Preston Pinch Gauge e a padronizaçäo recomendada pela Sociedade Americana de Terapeutas da Mäo, assim como a média da força de pinça de três medidas consecutivas, para as mäos dominante e näo dominante de cada indivíduo. Os dados coletados foram submetidos à análise estatística pelo teste t de Student, à análise de variância e ao coeficiente de correlaçäo de Pearson. Observou-se que as forças das três pinças têm fraca correlaçäo com o índice de massa corpórea do indivíduo, de modo que este näo é um bom índice de referência. As forças de pinça no sexo masculino säo em média 30 por cento mais fortes que as do sexo feminino. Em nosso estudo, a pinça lateral é a mais forte, sendo 13 por cento maior que a trípode e 33 por cento maior que a polpa-a-polpa. A pinça trípode tem força intermediária, sendo 23 por cento maior que a polpa-a-polpa. A pinça polpa-a-polpa é a mais fraca, sendo mais pinça de precisäo do que de força. Näo foi encontrada diferença significante entre as forças de pinça com o decorrer da idade, bem como entre as forças de pinça polpa-a-polpa entre a mäo dominante e a näo dominante. Para a nossa populaçäo, os valores médios (e respectivos desvios padrões) em quilogramas-força, para as forças das três pinças encontradas para o sexo masculino, foram: pinça polpa-a-polpa = 6,7 (1,8); pinça trípode = 8,5 (2,1) e pinça lateral = 9,9 (1,9). Para o sexo feminino os valores médios encontrados foram: pinça polpa-a-polpa = 4,7 (1,3); pinça trípode = 6,0 (1,5); pinça lateral = 6,7 (1,5). Este estudo populacional visa fornecer parâmetros de normalidade das forças de pinça, como subsídio para avaliações em cirurgia e terapia da mäo, bem como para trabalhos de pesquisa relacionados com esta funçäo manual

Técnica de reconstruçäo de polias essenciais utilizando enxerto de polia no tratamento cirúrgico das lesöes dos tendöes flexores na zona II. Parte II: casos clínicos / Technique of pulleys reconstruction employing pulleys grafts in the surgical treatment of flexor tendon lesion in zone II. Part II: clinical case

Os autores expõem casos clínicos da utilização de nova técnica de reconstrução das polias do túnel osteofibroso utilizando segmentos da primeira polia anular A1 como enxerto. Comentam detalhes da técnica, as indicações e os resultados preliminares em alguns pacientes submetidos a esta reconstrução.

Tratamento cirúrgico da moléstia de Dupuytren pela técnica da "palma aberta" modificada, utilizando película de celulose ("bio fill"): nota prévia / Surgical treatment of Dupuytren disease by modified open palm technique using cellulose film (bio fill): previous report

Os autores utilizaram técnica de McCash (palma aberta) modificada em sete pacientes portadores de moléstia de Dupuytren. Utilizaram uma película de celulose (bio fill) para cobrir a ferida cirúrgica, proporcionando um pós-operatório mais cômodo. Isso permite iniciar programa de reabilitaçao precocemente, obtendo-se resultados funcionais e estéticos altamente satisfatórios.