Surgical Outcomes and Complications in Patients with Early-Stage Dupuytren’s Contractures

Aim: This study aimed to assess the functional outcomes and complications of patients operated on for early-stage Dupuytren’s contracture. Patients and Method: We retrospectively included 40 patients who presented to our clinic with early-stage Dupuytren’s contracture. Age, sex, involved hand and finger(s), and contracture grade were assessed. All patients were examined for concurrent trigger finger, penile contracture, or plantar contracture of foot. The study involved patients with painful nodules and contractures of 0-45 degrees at the metacarpophalangeal joint. Results: A total of 52 hands of 40 patients (24 men, 16 women; mean age: 57.6 years) underwent partial fasciectomy . The contractures were located in the right hand in 12 cases; left hand in 16; and both hands in 12; they were located in the fourth finger in 10 hands; fifth finger in 6 hands; fourth and fifth fingers in 12 hands; and along fourth and fifth finger in 24 hands. The mean follow-up period was 25.9 (range 2-100) months. No patient developed infection, hematoma, skin necrosis, nerve or vessel cuts postoperatively. Three patients developed opening of sutures which were left to secondary healing. No patient was re-operated for Dupuytren’s contracture. Trigger finger was observed in 7 (17.5%) patients and accompanying plantar fibromatosis in 4 (10%) patients. Conclusion:Earlysurgery for Dupuytren’s contracture can achieve high surgical success and low complication rates. Surgery performed when adhesions to skin and adjacent tissues and skin contracture are mild has been shown to reduce re-operation rate.