Full-thickness skin grafting in preventing recurrence of Dupuytren's disease: A systematic review.

Dupuytren's disease is a progressive hand disorder characterized by the formation of pathologic nodules and cords in the palm, often leading to progressive flexion contractures. Hand surgery is currently the only efficient treatment to restore hand function, however, reported recurrence rates vary widely. Currently, it remains unclear which type of fasciectomy is associated with the lowest recurrence rate. Therefore, a systematic review was conducted to compare recurrence rates after limited fasciectomy, open palm technique, or dermofasciectomy with a full-thickness skin graft. 79 studies were included, and results suggest that a dermofasciectomy with a full-thickness skin graft is associated with a lower recurrence rate. However, most studies were case series in which a wide range of definitions of recurrence was used. Moreover, all studies had a high risk of bias. Therefore, additional comparative clinical trials are recommended that use an unambiguous definition of recurrence. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE III: .

Skin Graft Review in Dermofasciectomy for Dupuytren's Contracture within 48 Hours: Challenging Historical Practice.

Introduction Early review of skin graft following dermofasciectomy with skin grafting for Dupuytren's disease is not standard practice because of the potentially adverse effects on inosculation and neovascularization process of the skin grafting. The purpose of this retrospective case series was to observe whether early review of grafts postoperatively at 48 hours adversely affects graft survival and surgical outcomes. Materials and Methods Forty-nine primary and revision procedures were retrospectively analyzed for treatment outcomes, postoperative complications, functional hand scoring, and satisfaction rates postoperatively. Results Thirty-eight patients were treated successfully with no postoperative contracture. There were three treatment failures and two graft failures, with two amputations within these failures. Paired pre- and postoperative Unité Rhumatologique des Affections de la Main scoring demonstrated significant improvement in hand function for primary procedures, with a mean satisfaction score of 7.7 out of 10. Conclusion We have shown early graft review following dermofasciectomy and full-thickness skin grafting to be safe, allowing early mobilization and splinting, with our postoperative failure and complication rate being within published literature.

Compartment Syndrome of the Forearm Following Dermofasciectomy-A Rare and Devastating Complication.

We present a case of compartment syndrome of the forearm following harvesting of a full thickness skin graft from the medial forearm for a double digit dermofasciectomy. The patient underwent forearm fasciectomy followed by multiple surgical debridements. At 18 months, despite intensive physiotherapy, the patient was left with a very significant residual functional deficit. This case highlights a previously undescribed but devastating complication of closure of a forearm skin graft donor site.

Alternative and Adjunctive Treatments for Dupuytren Disease.

Clinicians struggle with limited efficacy and durability of standard treatments when treating patients with Dupuytren disease diathesis. Alternative treatments such as low-dose radiation therapy in early phase of disease, supplemental pharmacotherapy with anti-inflammatory and/or anti-mitotic drugs, as well as other pharmacologic targets, and more aggressive surgery such as dermofasciectomy all have been reported with variable success or with serious side effects that hamper their standard use. This article gives an overview of the available literature.

Treatment of Recurrent Dupuytren Disease.

Treatment of recurrent Dupuytren disease is challenging. Multiple options exist, each having relative benefits and weaknesses. Choice for optimal treatment is made on a case-by-case basis, with shared decision making with the patient. Percutaneous and enzymatic techniques are best reserved for patients with well-defined recurrent disease and offer the benefit of quicker recovery with minimal or no scarring. Surgical treatments have higher risks of neurovascular injury and scarring, but lower recurrence rates. Staged continuous passive elongation followed by dermofasciectomy may lower neurovascular injury and improve outcomes. Salvage procedures may be necessary in patients with poor tissue beds and neurovascular compromise.

Advances in Minimally Invasive Treatment of Dupuytren Disease.

A comparison is provided between minimally invasive techniques and limited fasciectomy (LF) in the treatment of Dupuytren disease. A technique called percutaneous needle aponeurotomy and lipofilling is described. In a randomized controlled trial, there is no significant difference between this technique and LF after 1 year in contracture correction and recurrent contractures. At 5 years postoperative, however, there is a significant change in recurrence rates in favor of LF. Patients with moderate diathesis should choose between minimally invasive technique with early recurrence, fast recovery, and few complications versus late recurrence, slower recovery, and more complications, as observed with LF or dermofasciectomy.

Complications after treating Dupuytren's disease. A systematic literature review.

The objective of this study was to review the incidence of complications associated with different treatment options for patients with Dupuytren's disease. In a systematic literature review, the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane and Scopus databases were searched for clinical studies reporting complications after collagenase treatment, percutaneous needle fasciotomy (PNF), fasciectomy and dermofasciectomy. The incidence of complications was extracted from each study and stratified by procedure. From a total of 2251 references, 113 studies were analyzed and included with complication incidences varying from 0% to 100%. The highest number of nerve and vessel lesions were reported after fasciectomy, whereas the highest rate of edema was after collagenase injection. Accidental skin tears were mostly associated with collagenase and PNF treatment. Pooled complication incidences were 17.4% (95% CI: 11.7-23.1) for fasciectomy, 78.0% (95% CI: 59.6-96.4) for collagenase treatment, 18.9% (95% CI: -5.5-43.3) for PNF and 11.6% (95% CI: 0.0-23.2) for dermofasciectomy. Due to inconsistencies in reporting complications as well as the lack of a standardized definition, the literature does not provide evidence in favor of a specific procedure for Dupuytren's disease. A standardized definition of complications is required to improve the comparability of published results.

Dupuytren's disease: my personal view.

Dupuytren's disease is a heterogenous condition for which a palette of treatment options is required. Randomized control trial evidence is sparse; design challenges, such as validated outcome measures, blinding, equipoise, funding and assessment of recurrence, may limit further data accrual. Recurrence has different significance with different treatments and so rates are not directly comparable. The risk of any treatment is a function of both the chance of a complication and the clinical sequelae of that complication. The patient must be intimately involved in choosing treatment and is often trading rapid recovery for a higher chance of recurrence. Health economies are strained and as custodians of healthcare, surgeons should consider whether many patients even need treatment. To minimize the chance of complex, hazardous and expensive revision surgery, a low threshold for primary skin grafting should be applied, especially for those who are young, have dense disease or vulnerable genes.

Acute Gout Following Dermofasciectomy in a Patient With Dupuytren Disease.

A 62-year-old man underwent uncomplicated dermofasciectomy of the right little finger. In the week after surgery, he presented with erythema, tenderness, reduced range of movement, and a chalklike discharge from the suture line. Investigations revealed a raised serum urate level accompanied with a borderline rise in inflammatory markers. A diagnosis of acute gout was made. The patient was managed with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Clinicians should consider the diagnosis of gout when patients present after surgery with redness, pain, and swelling and also consider measuring urate levels before surgery and initiating colchicine prophylaxis when there is a known diagnosis of gout before surgery. Accurate diagnosis may prevent unnecessary antibiotic use.

Dupuytren Disease Infiltrating a Full-Thickness Skin Graft.

Although the role of the skin in the development and propagation of Dupuytren disease remains unclear, dermofasciectomy and full-thickness skin grafting (FTSG) appears to delay recurrence. In 2011, a 71-year-old, left-handed man presented with recurrent Dupuytren disease in the dominant hand. In 1991, he originally underwent a primary dermofasciectomy and FTSG for Dupuytren disease involving the palmar skin. Twenty years later, the left middle finger was drawn into flexion by a recurrent cord, and the old graft and adjacent palmar skin were clinically involved by fibromatosis. We performed a revision dermofasciectomy and FTSG. Microscopic analysis of the excised graft demonstrated dense infiltration of the entire skin graft by Dupuytren disease, with areas of active and burnt-out fibromatosis distinct from hypertrophic scarring. This report of Dupuytren fibromatosis infiltrating a skin graft raises questions about the pathophysiology of Dupuytren disease.

Skin involvement in Dupuytren's disease.

UNLABELLED: Whether the palmar skin has a role in the development, propagation or recurrence of Dupuytren's disease remains unclear. Clinical assessment for skin involvement is difficult and its correlation with histology uncertain. We prospectively biopsied the palmar skin of consecutive patients undergoing single digit fasciectomy (for primary Dupuytren's disease without clinically involved skin) and dermofasciectomy (for clinically involved skin or recurrence) in order to investigate this relationship. We found dermal fibromatosis in 22 of 44 patients (50%) undergoing fasciectomy and 41 of 59 patients (70%) undergoing dermofasciectomy. Dermal fibromatosis appeared to be associated with greater preoperative angular deformity, presence of palmar nodules and occupations involving manual labour. Dermal fibromatosis exists in the absence of clinical features of skin involvement and we hypothesize that the skin may have a greater role in the development and propagation of Dupuytren's disease than previously thought. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

A Simple Dressing Technique Following Dermofasciectomy and Full Thickness Skin Grafting of the Fingers in the Treatment of Severe Dupuytren's Contracture.

Dupuytren's disease with severe finger contractures and recurrent contractures following previous surgery often have extensive skin involvement. In these severe cases, excision of the diseased chord along with the involved skin is a good option to reduce the risk of recurrance. The resulting skin defect can be covered with a full thickness skin graft (FTSG) or a cross finger flap. Cross finger flaps have donor finger morbidity and hence a full thickness graft is usually preferred. The FTSG extending to the midlateral margins on both sides of the finger reduces the risk of joint contracture due to graft shrinkage. Once the FTSG is sutured in place, the standard practice is to compress and secure the graft to its recipient bed with a tie-over dressing and this can be time consuming. We present a simple dressing technique to secure the FTSG without the need for a tie-over dressing.

Dupuytren's disease: current state of the art.

BACKGROUND: This review article critically examines the current literature for Dupuytren's disease. METHODS: Five procedures are considered: dermofasciectomy, limited fasciectomy, segmental aponeurectomy, needle aponeurotomy, and collagenase injection. Studies regarding the efficacy of these treatments focus primarily on the initial degree of correction, rate of recurrence, and complications. RESULTS: No one treatment has been declared superior and substantial controversy exists. Comparison between studies has been hampered by the absence of uniform definitions for clinical success and measurable disease progression. Traditional post-operative care includes formal therapy and night splinting, but recent studies have questioned the value of these adjuncts. CONCLUSION: The extent of involvement at which the surgeon should intervene was previously well accepted by convention, but as the paradigm shifts towards less invasive procedures, treatment may be offered at an earlier stage. Future research should be structured to recognize the value-based decision making used by patients when selecting treatment.

Ulnar Para-metacarpal Flap for Recurrence of Dupuytren's Disease with Skin Ulcer: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: In a patient with recurrent Dupuytren's disease, we performed dermofasciectomy including the diseased skin and soft tissue, and covered the soft tissue defect using an ulnar parametacarpal flap. CASE REPORT: A 65-year-old man had undergone invasive aponeurectomy for Dupuytren's contracture of the right 5th finger 3 years before, but showed recurrence about 1 year after surgery. Since a skin ulcer was noted at the site of recurrence, dermofasciectomy including the scarred skin was performed on the palmar side of the 5th finger, and the skin defect was covered with an ulnar parametacarpal flap. No recurrence has been noted for the 6 months since the surgery. CONCLUSION: The ulnar parametacarpal flap, in which the vascular pedicle is easy to identify, is useful for covering a skin defect on the palmar side of the 5th finger if used as an island flap. However, a disadvantage of this flap is that it is likely to develop congestion due to poor venous return.