Yoshihiro Abe1, Tomoyuki Rokkaku2, Susumu Tokunaga3, Toshiyuki Yamada2, Seiji Okamoto3. 1. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chiba Rosai Hospital, 2-16 Tatumidai-higashi, Ichihara City 290-0003, Chiba, Japan. Electronic address: abe-yosh@pk9.so-net.ne.jp. 2. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Chiba Aoba Municipal Hospital, 1416-4, Aoba-chou, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, 260-0852 Japan. 3. Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba University, 1-8-1 Inohana, Chuo-ku, Chiba City, 260-8677, Japan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study reports 10 patients with closed mallet thumb injury treated with surgery and compares the clinical outcomes achieved with those of previously described patients who were treated with either conservative therapy or surgery. METHODS: We report the outcomes of a series of 10 patients who received surgical treatment at our institutions. Due to the rarity of closed mallet thumb, a systematic review was conducted, and the results of a literature search were compared with our case series to strengthen our conclusions. The previously described patients were categorized into two groups: the surgically treated group (16 patients) and the conservatively treated group (10 patients). The following patient and injury characteristics were documented: age, gender, injured side, time from injury to treatment, mechanism of injury, extension lag at first visit, postoperative range of motion (ROM) of the interphalangeal joint, immobilization period, and follow-up period. RESULTS: Statistical analyses showed no significant differences in the clinical results, except for shorter immobilization periods between our series and the previously described patients involving conservative treatment (4.9 ± 0.9 vs. 9.5 ± 2.3 weeks, respectively; P = 0.0053). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that surgery may result in more rapid recovery.
OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study reports 10 patients with closed mallet thumb injury treated with surgery and compares the clinical outcomes achieved with those of previously described patients who were treated with either conservative therapy or surgery. METHODS: We report the outcomes of a series of 10 patients who received surgical treatment at our institutions. Due to the rarity of closed mallet thumb, a systematic review was conducted, and the results of a literature search were compared with our case series to strengthen our conclusions. The previously described patients were categorized into two groups: the surgically treated group (16 patients) and the conservatively treated group (10 patients). The following patient and injury characteristics were documented: age, gender, injured side, time from injury to treatment, mechanism of injury, extension lag at first visit, postoperative range of motion (ROM) of the interphalangeal joint, immobilization period, and follow-up period. RESULTS: Statistical analyses showed no significant differences in the clinical results, except for shorter immobilization periods between our series and the previously described patients involving conservative treatment (4.9 ± 0.9 vs. 9.5 ± 2.3 weeks, respectively; P = 0.0053). CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that surgery may result in more rapid recovery.