Night-time Splinting After Surgery for Dupuytren's Contracture
Author Information
Author(s): Christina Jerosch-Herold, Lee Shepstone, Adrian J Chojnowski, Debbie Larson, Elisabeth Barrett, Susan P Vaughan
Primary Institution: University of East Anglia
Hypothesis
Does night-time splinting improve function and satisfaction in patients after fasciectomy or dermofasciectomy for Dupuytren's contracture?
Conclusion
Night-time splinting does not provide additional benefits in terms of hand function or patient satisfaction compared to hand therapy alone.
Supporting Evidence
- Both groups showed improvement in DASH scores over 12 months.
- 96% of patients completed follow-up at 12 months.
- No significant differences were found in patient satisfaction between groups.
- Only 17% of patients in the no-splint group developed contractures requiring splinting.
Takeaway
This study found that wearing a splint at night after hand surgery didn't help people feel better or move their fingers better than just doing therapy.
Methodology
A multi-centre, pragmatic, open, randomised controlled trial comparing night splinting plus hand therapy to hand therapy alone.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to lack of blinding for both patients and assessors.
Limitations
The primary outcome was patient-reported and participants could not be blinded, which may introduce bias.
Participant Demographics
Patients aged over 18 with Dupuytren's disease requiring surgery, with a mean age of approximately 67 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.703
Confidence Interval
95% CI -2.79 to 4.11
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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