RESUMO
STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort comparison. INTRODUCTION: Using acetic acid iontophoresis (AAI) as a treatment modality significantly improved the functionality of hand in patients with recalcitrant scarring. METHODS: Open trigger finger release patients followed up exclusively at a hand clinic between 2009 and 2011 were analyzed. Group I recovered optimal total active range of motion (TAM) after 14 standard of care (SOC) therapy sessions but Group II (10 digits) could only reach optimal recovery after 7 additional AAI sessions. RESULTS: After SOC therapy, Group I's TAM recovery plateaued at 245 and Group II's at 219 (p < 0.01). After undergoing AAI, the TAM of Group II increased from 219 to 239 (p < 0.01). DISCUSSION: Clinical studies suggest that AAI can modify collagen structure in scars. AAI could be a novel non-surgical treatment for restoring functionality to areas affected by difficult, recalcitrant scars. CONCLUSION: AAI significantly improved the TAM of hand surgical patients who could not recover optimally with SOC therapy alone. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.