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MALLET DEFORMITY OF THE FINGER

FIVE-YEAR FOLLOW-UP OF CONSERVATIVE TREATMENT

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire AL7 4HQ, UK.

Correspondence should be sent to Mr B. Okafor at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Brockley Hill, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4LP, UK.

We reviewed 31 patients at a mean of five years after mallet deformity of the finger had been treated with a thermoplastic splint. Intra-articular fractures were present in 35% of patients. Osteoarthritic changes had developed in 48%, most in association with fracture, and 29% had a swan-neck deformity. There was a loss of extension greater than 10° in 35%; the average deficit at the interphalangeal joint was 8.3° and the average flexion arc was 48.5°.

Despite these findings, patient satisfaction was generally high, with little evidence of functional impairment.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. A. Bendre, B. J. Hartigan, and D. M. Kalainov Mallet Finger J. Am. Acad. Ortho. Surg., September 1, 2005; 13(5): 336 - 344. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]