Surgical Versus Conservative Treatment of Acute Mallet Fingers; a Randomised Controlled Trial

Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Overview

The investigators are investigating if surgical treatment of injuries to the tendon which straightens the finger tip gives a better functional outcome than treatment with a splint while the tendon heals.

The investigators will randomise patients to receive splinting of their finger while their tendon heals or have surgical intervention. Surgical intervention will entail fixing the tendon with bone anchors and splinting. Conservative treament involves splinting while the tendon heals. We will then monitor the functional outcome of the hand using the DASH questionare over 18 months.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Conditions

Finger Injury

Interventions

extensor tendon repairPROCEDURE

Surgical repair of extensor tendon with bone anchor and splinting

Mallet splint for 4 weeksPROCEDURE

The patient will wear a "mallet splint" for fours weeks and then mobilise their finger.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 16 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * soft tissue mallet finger * acute injury Exclusion Criteria: * ASA 3 or above * Unable to give informed consent * Infection in digit affected

Locations (1)

Mid Cheshire NHS Trust

Crewe, United Kingdom

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

DASH score

Time frame: up to 18 months

Secondary Outcomes

Range of movement at distal interphalyngeal joint.

Time frame: 3, 6, 12 and 18 months

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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