Relative Motion Extension Splint after Extensor Tendon Reconstruction.

Recently, the wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) technique and relative motion extension (RME) splint changed practice in extensor tendon reconstruction and therapy. We wanted to share our approach for zones 5 to 8 extensor tendon management following the up-to-date developments. The impacts of surgery under WALANT and early active motion therapy with RME splinting were explained frankly and shown in several videos throughout the article.

Pinch strength analyses in lacertus syndrome.

PURPOSE: Lacertus syndrome is defined as proximal median nerve entrapment at the lacertus fibrosus. We aimed to analyze change in pinch strengths in patients who underwent median nerve release at the lacertus fibrosus under WALANT (wide-awake local anesthesia, no tourniquet). METHODS: Pinch strength was measured with a pinch gauge. Subjective DASH score and pain, numbness in the operated extremity and satisfaction on visual analog scales were analyzed before and 6 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: There were 32 patients. Median nerve release under the lacertus fibrosus elicited statistically significant increases in tip-to-tip, lateral and tripod pinch strength at postoperative week 6. Improvements in DASH score, pain and paresthesia were also statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: For lacertus syndrome treatment, mini-incision release of the lacertus fibrosus under WALANT was satisfactory and increased pinch strength significatively. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, Level IV - Case series.

Use of relative motion orthoses from the perspective of hand-injured patients: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Relative motion (RM) orthoses have gained popularity with therapists as their versatility lends to "protective," "exercise," and "adaptive" uses. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: To ask for comments from patients wearing RM orthoses for protective or exercise reasons. STUDY DESIGN: Interpretive descriptive qualitative study. METHODS: Semi-structured face-to-face interviews comprised of nine open-ended questions were conducted with 20 hand injured patients who were advised to wear a protective or exercise RM orthosis for at least 4 weeks. RESULTS: Twenty patients participated in the interviews. Thirteen patients wore the protective RM orthoses had a mean age of 28 years (range,16-54) and the mean age was 34 years (range, 20-51) for 7 patients using exercise RM orthoses. Interviews generated 4 major themes: physical characteristics of the orthoses, challenges in daily living activities, emotional response to orthotic wear, and impact of social environment. DISCUSSION: Comments from both groups of patients suggested the small size of the orthosis contributed to wearing the orthosis as advised. Most found the orthosis comfortable, when not, comments were related to rubbing of the orthosis causing pain and rigidity of the orthosis resulting in finger swelling. A few were impacted by the orthosis drawing attention to their injured hand. Those wearing the exercise RM orthosis often removed it instead of using it for nonintentional exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Comments obtained from the limited structured interview of 20 patients wearing protective or exercise RM orthosis may offer therapists with some understanding from the patient's perspective. Additional study is worthwhile.

Early active movement with relative motion flexion splint for the management of zone 1-2 flexor tendon repairs: Case series.

BACKGROUND: There is limited literature evidence on the use of relative motion flexion splint after flexor tendon repairs. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to report the clinical use of early active movement with a relative motion flexion splint and to determine the outcomes of a consecutive series in patients with zone 1-2 flexor tendon repair. METHODS: We included 14 patients with one-stage flexor tendon repair. An active rehabilitation program was initiated in the first week with a static dorsal block splint, which was removed in the third week, and patients started to use the relative motion flexion splint. Total active motion (TAM) of the injured finger at 8, 12, and 16 weeks after surgery was assessed as described by Strickland and Glogovac. RESULTS: The mean TAM of the injured fingers was as follows: 102.5 ± 41.49° (25°-180°) at week 8; 123.42 ± 40.94° (45°-190°) at week 12; and 148 ± 38.18° (90°- 200°) at week 16. Final TAM grades of the patients at week 16 were as follows: excellent (six patients); good (five patients); and fair (three patients). There were no tendon ruptures and secondary surgeries. CONCLUSION: Early active movement and the use of relative motion flexion splint seem to be promising strategies for flexor tendon zone 1-2 repair management.

Wide-Awake Hand Surgery Experience in Patients 10 to 18 Years of Age.

Purpose: We investigated the frequency of wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) use for hand surgery in the a 10- to 18-year-old age group and patients' experiences. Methods: Patients aged 10-18 years who had hand surgery in June 2016 to March 2020 were identified. The frequency of patients who agreed to have surgery under WALANT was calculated (%). Patients who received WALANT over the previous year were interviewed for their surgical experiences. Results: A total of 69 patients were identified, and 46 of them received WALANT. The mean age was 14.5 ± 2 years, and 22 of them were boys. Sixteen patients were called for a surgical experience assessment via questionnaire. They reported pain less than 1/10 during anesthesia injection and surgery. Ten patients (62%) found their operation easy, and 14 (87.5%) would prefer WALANT again. Conclusions: This study showed that most patients in the 10-18 years age group accepted WALANT, and their surgical experiences were positive. For its advantages, WALANT should be considered in hand surgery for compliant patients in this age group. Type of study/level of evidence: Therapeutic III.

Successful Boutonniere Reconstruction With Wide-Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet.

Purpose: In this retrospective study, we evaluated the results of central slip reconstruction with a modified Snow's technique under wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet. Methods: Between 2016 and 2019, 13 patients with boutonniere deformity were operated. All of the patients had boutonniere deformity with a passively correctable proximal interphalangeal joint. In 7 patients, temporary proximal interphalangeal joint transfixation with a K-wire to secure the repair was preferred. For the rest of the patients, postoperative follow-up was done with an orthosis. All patients were referred to a hand therapist for postoperative rehabilitation. Results: The mean interval between the injury time and the surgery was 55.7 days. After the surgery, the average proximal interphalangeal joint flexion was 104.8° and the loss of proximal interphalangeal joint extension was 6.15°. The average distal interphalangeal flexion was 65.3°. Seven cases had excellent results, 4 patients had good results, and 2 patients had fair results. Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that with a modified Snow technique, encouraging results can be achieved for neglected central slip injuries in which primary repair is impossible. Surgery under wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet enables the surgeon to check the stability of the repair, and early active motion with relative motion flexion orthoses can be started with confidence. Type of study/level of evidence: Therapeutic IV.

Triggering Thumb Is Not Always a Trigger Thumb.

Although rare, the thumb can trigger because of de Quervain disease. An 18-year-old woman presented with painful triggering during thumb movements. Physical examination revealed locking upon thumb extension and painful snapping upon thumb flexion, with tenderness over the first extensor compartment. During the ultrasonography examination, the extensor pollicis brevis tendon snapped with a jerky movement. According to intraoperative active movement under wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet, only the extensor pollicis brevis tendon subcompartment was released, and the snapping was resolved. The patient was symptom-free at the second postoperative week control. Triggering because of de Quervain tenosynovitis is a rare condition, and surgical release is required in most cases. Dynamic ultrasonography is an effective tool for precise preoperative assessment of pathology and assists surgical planning. Surgery under wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet is advised, which helps intraoperative assessment of pathology and ensures accurate treatment.

The Use of Relative Motion Flexion Orthoses for Chronic Boutonniere Deformity.

PURPOSE: This study investigated the effectiveness of a relative motion flexion orthosis (RMFO) for increasing the range of motion for boutonniere deformity. METHODS: We included 28 patients aged 13-62 years with chronic boutonniere deformity who could complete 0° proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint extension with the pencil test and were stage 1 according to the Burton classification of boutonniere deformity. At the initial hand therapy appointment, the RMFO was made. The duration of the orthosis usage at the initial therapy session, after stopping the use of the orthosis (posttreatment), and at the follow-up period were noted. RESULTS: The mean time for orthosis usage of all patients was 11.7 weeks (6-40 weeks). The mean initial active distal interphalangeal joint flexion was 47° (0° to 90°) and improved to 66.8° (5° to 110°). The mean initial extension lag of the PIP joint was 22.5° (5° to 55°) and improved to 12° (0° to 30°). This did not change between discontinuation of the orthosis and final follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The use of RMFO is effective in increasing active distal interphalangeal joint flexion and improving PIP extension in patients with Burton stage 1 chronic boutonniere deformity. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EViDENCE: Therapeutic IV.

Responsiveness and Validity of Weight-Bearing Test for Measuring Loading Capacity in Patients With Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Injury.

CONTEXT: Weight-bearing test (WBT) is a noninvasive quantitative test which has been used recently to determine loading capability of the individuals. The aim of this study was to strengthen the evidence for using the WBT test for measuring weight-bearing capacity of the upper-extremity with the specific objective of examining the internal and external responsiveness and concurrent validity of the test in patients with triangular fibrocartilage complex injury. DESIGN: Single-group repeated measures. METHODS: Internal responsiveness was assessed using effect size statistics. The correlation coefficient was used to examine external responsiveness by testing 5 hypotheses regarding predefined correlations between the changes in the measurements. Concurrent validity was evaluated by analyzing correlations between the WBT and other measurements. Thirty-one patients with triangular fibrocartilage complex injury were included for the analysis of the concurrent validity. Eighteen patients who completed all measurements at baseline and at 3-month follow-up enrolled for the responsiveness analysis. Measurements included the WBT, pain intensity, grip strength, and upper extremity functional level. RESULTS: The WBT test was able to detect statistically significant changes in weight-bearing capacity between baseline and follow-up (P = .0001). The effect size of the WBT was large. Three out of 5 hypotheses (60%) were confirmed, a good correlation was found between changes scores of the WBT and grip strength (r = .478; P < .05). There were significant correlations between the WBT and other measurements (r value range from -.401 to .742; P < .05). A higher correlation was found between the WBT and grip strength (r = .742; P = .0001). CONCLUSIONS: The responsiveness and concurrent validity of the WBT test confirmed that it is able to measure change in weight-bearing capacity in patients with triangular fibrocartilage complex injury.

Ultrasonography for carpal tunnel syndrome in pregnancy: a prospective cross-sectional study.

Confirmation of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) diagnosis with sonographic measurement of the median nerve cross sectional area (MN-CSA) is increasing in popularity. We aimed to analyse the ultrasonography (USG) values of MN-CSA in pregnant women with and without CTS symptoms. MN-CSAs of third trimester pregnant women were measured with USG and they were asked about the presence of CTS symptoms. Symptomatic participants were assigned to the CTS group and remaining participants were assigned to the Control group. The groups were compared according to MN-CSA. Twenty-five participants were grouped in CTS group and the remaining 64 participants were grouped in Control group. The MN-CSA was higher in the CTS group (9.44 ± 2.68) than in the Control group (7.20 ± 1.99), p = .00004. Obstetricians can use USG measurement of MN-CSA to confirm CTS diagnosis and consequently can offer conservative management, which is the widely accepted treatment modality in this cohort.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? CTS is the most common mononeuropathy of pregnancy, with up to 62% prevalence rates. The American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine practice guideline for the diagnosis of CTS recommends sonographic measurement of median nerve swelling at the carpal tunnel inlet as an accurate diagnostic test (Level A).What do the results of this study add? We found that a simple sonographic measurement of median nerve cross sectional area (MN-CSA) at the wrist appears to be a convenient method to confirm clinical CTS diagnosis in pregnant women. This study offers to use USG to confirm clinical CTS diagnosis in third trimester pregnant women before delivery.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? This study will help to raise awareness of obstetricians about CTS during pregnancy. USG can be an effective first-line confirmatory test for CTS diagnosis in the pregnant population, but further research is necessary to determine a clear cut-off value for MN-CSA. We advise obstetricians to use sonographic measurement of MN-CSA in pregnant women with typical CTS symptoms, which will increase uniformity for consensus development. Obstetricians can offer advice for conservative management of CTS during pregnancy, which is the widely accepted treatment in this cohort.

de Quervain's Tenosynovitis and Radial Styloid Osseous Changes.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the radial styloid osseous changes observed on posteroanterior wrist radiographs of patients with de Quervain's tenosynovitis who required surgery or conservative treatment. Materials and Methods: The surgically treated group included 24 patients with de Quervain's tenosynovitis. The conservative treatment group and the healthy control group each comprised 24 age- and sex-matched subjects. We evaluated the presence of bone apposition, periosteal reaction, sclerosis, osteopenia, erosion, and contour bulge in the epiphyseal remnant at the radial styloid. The incidences of abnormal radiographic findings were compared between these three groups. The correlation of radial styloid bony changes with the duration of symptoms was also analyzed. Results: No significant differences were found between the three groups in terms of periosteal reaction, erosion, and contour bulge at the epiphysial remnant. Significant differences were found between the three groups in the incidence of bone apposition, sclerosis, and osteopenia (p < 0.001). Bone apposition incidence in the surgically and conservatively treated groups was significantly higher than that in the control group (p < 0.001). Sclerosis and osteopenia significantly differed between the surgically and conservatively treated groups (p < 0.001, p = 0.002, respectively). No significant association was observed between the duration of symptoms and the radial styloid osseous changes (p > 0.05). Conclusion: We found a variable incidence of abnormal radiographic findings on the radial styloid in patients with de Quervain's tenosynovitis and asymptomatic individuals. The presence of sclerosis and osteopenia may be potential risk factors for patients who do not respond to conservative treatment and need surgical intervention.

Important updates of finger fractures, entrapment neuropathies and wide-awake surgery of the upper extremity.

Hand surgery is rapidly changing. The wide-awake approach, minimum dissection surgery and early protected movement have changed many things. This is an update of some of the important changes regarding early protected movement with K-wired finger fracture management, simplification of nerve decompression surgery, such as elbow median and ulnar nerve releases, and some new areas in performing surgery with wide-awake local anaesthesia without tourniquet.

Getting Better Results in Flexor Tendon Surgery and Therapy.

Recently, better outcomes have been reported when up-to-date developments in flexor tendon surgery and therapy were followed. Slightly tensioned multistrand repairs, judicious venting of pulleys, and early active motion are widely accepted principles. In addition to these principles, tailoring of the repair according to intraoperative active movement with wide awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) surgical setting is recommended for better results. We aimed to describe our up-to-date approach to flexor tendon surgery and therapy with the help of visual communication tools of this age. The ideal primary repair of flexor tendons, the management of delayed presentation flexor tendon injuries, the key steps to achieve better results with flexor tendon therapy, and the tele-rehabilitation experience during COVID-19 pandemic will be highlighted. Zone 2 flexor tendon injuries are the most demanding part and will be focused on.

Evaluating Stack Splint Use for Mallet Finger.

Background: Stack splint is commonly used for mallet finger treatment but patients had a tendency to frequently remove it because of skin complications. We hypothesized that a comprehensively instructed splinting regime would increase patients' compliance and lead to favorable outcomes with fewer skin complications. The aims of this study were to assess the patients' compliance and to evaluate outcomes with that particular splinting regime. Methods: Forty-six consecutive patients were enrolled in this prospective study. They were instructed to wear the Stack splint for 24 hours a day every day in the first six weeks and remove it once a day for 10 minutes to vent. They were told to support distal interphalangeal joint volarly both while wearing the splint and when it was removed. Free movement of proximal interphalangeal joint within the splint was checked after each application. Following whole-day regime for 6 weeks, night splinting continued for 2 more weeks. Range of motion, skin complications, patients' compliance and satisfaction were assessed at last follow-up. Results: There were 26 patients with a mean age of 39.8 and mean follow-up period of 6.7 months. No skin complications or proximal interphalangeal joint stiffness were reported. However, nine patients declared that they wore the splint ≤ 4 weeks, the compliance rate to our regime was 65.4% (17/26). In the 17 fully compliant patients, mean distal interphalangeal joint extension lag was 12.4 and nine of them (52.9%) were satisfied with the outcome. Conclusions: Our both hypotheses failed; comprehensive instructions for the splinting regime did not improve patients' compliance satisfactorily, nor did it lead to favorable outcomes. Although Stack splint has practical points, we no longer use it.

Patient satisfaction after innervated digital artery perforator flap for fingertip injuries.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of the innervated digital artery perforator (IDAP) flap and to analyze the relationship between patient satisfaction and outcome measures. METHODS: A total of 17 fingertips of 15 patients (14 men and one woman; mean age: 47.2 (26-62) years) were included in this retrospective study. Patients' injured finger and defect type were recorded. At the last follow-up, the static two-point discrimination (s2PD) test, Semmes Weinstein monofilament (SWM) test, and range of motion of the affected finger were analyzed. We interviewed patients to determine hand dominance, cold intolerance, and their satisfaction with the result. We performed correlation and logistic regression analyses between patient satisfaction and outcome measures. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 13.8 (7-18) months. The mean range of motion was 77.3±3.5 (70-80) degrees for the distal interphalangeal joints of affected fingers. The mean s2PD was 6.4 (3-10) mm, and the SWM records ranged from 2.83 to 4.93 monofilament markings. Cold intolerance was noted in seven fingers (41%). Patient satisfaction was negatively correlated with cold intolerance, and cold intolerance decreased as the follow-up period extended. CONCLUSION: IDAP flap satisfies both patient and surgeon, with the only significant problem being cold intolerance, regarding which patients must be informed. Although cold intolerance is hard to treat, fortunately, it generally improves with time. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, Therapeutic study.

Patients' Perspective on Carpal Tunnel Release with WALANT or Intravenous Regional Anesthesia.

BACKGROUND: The authors conducted a prospective study to compare patients' intraoperative experience of open carpal tunnel release under "wide awake, local anesthesia, no tourniquet" (WALANT) on the one hand and intravenous regional anesthesia on the other. The authors hypothesized that WALANT would offer a better intraoperative experience than intravenous regional anesthesia. METHODS: Twenty-four patients with bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome had one hand operated on using WALANT and the contralateral hand with the intravenous regional anesthesia method. At the postoperative second hour, patients completed a questionnaire to quantify their pain levels on a numerical rating scale and compare the operation with dental procedures. They were also asked about their expectations and feelings about reoperation with the anesthesia methods. The results were compared for the two anesthesia methods. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between numerical rating scale pain values during anesthetic administration or for surgical site pain on the WALANT and intravenous regional anesthesia sides. Patients reported moderate tourniquet pain for intravenous regional anesthesia sides. For WALANT sides, a significantly higher number of patients reported carpal tunnel release to be an easier procedure than dental procedures (91.6 percent WALANT and 37.5 percent intravenous regional anesthesia). For WALANT sides, a significantly higher number of patients reported carpal tunnel release to be an easier procedure than they expected (91.6 percent WALANT and 50 percent intravenous regional anesthesia). For the reoperation, 83.3 percent of patients preferred WALANT, 8.3 percent preferred intravenous regional anesthesia, and 8.3 percent reported no preference. CONCLUSIONS: WALANT offered a better intraoperative experience. Tourniquet pain, preoperative preparation basics, and the extended anesthesia duration are likely the major drawbacks of the intravenous regional anesthesia method.