Hand surgery & rehabilitation最新文献

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ultrasound-guided needle knife release in the treatment of stenosing tenosynovitis of the flexor pollicis longus.

Methods: In this prospective trial, 60 patients with clinically and ultrasonographically confirmed stenosing tenosynovitis of the flexor pollicis longus were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 groups: ultrasound-guided needle knife release (n = 20), traditional conservative treatment (n = 20), and open surgery (n = 20). The primary outcome measure was the Quinnell grade of triggering severity. Secondary outcomes comprised pain intensity (on visual analog scale), satisfaction (5-point Likert scale), and complications. Outcomes were evaluated at baseline, 1 week, 1 month and 3 months post-intervention by blinded assessors.

Results: At all follow-up time points, the needle knife release group demonstrated significantly lower Quinnell grades (p < 0.05) and pain scores (p < 0.001) than the conservative treatment group; satisfaction was greater in the needle knife release group compared to the conservative treatment group at 1 month (p = 0.002) and 3 months (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in outcomes between the needle knife release group and the open surgery group. The overall complications rate was 5% in the needle knife release group, 10% in the conservative treatment group, and 15% in the open surgery group (p = 0.574).

Conclusion: Ultrasound-guided needle knife release is an effective and safe treatment for stenosing tenosynovitis of the flexor pollicis longus, with outcomes that are better than with traditional conservative treatment and similar to those of open surgery.

A 48-year-old right-handed male surgeon complained of finger numbness, pain, cramps and weakness of 2 years' progression, without improvement after 2 carpal tunnel corticosteroid injections and splinting. The patient was diagnosed with lacertus syndrome with Hagert's triad. Sensory collapse test was positive, but the sensations during the test were not consistent with the literature. Therefore, a sensory collapse test was performed in combination with electromyography; immediately following cutaneous stimulation, partial transient collapse in muscle tone was observed, without complete interruption. Following surgical release of the ipsilateral median nerve at the lacertus fibrosus, the symptoms were resolved, and combined sensory collapse test and electromyography revealed minimal to no collapse in muscle tone following cutaneous stimulation.

Objectives: Several prospective blinded studies have found poorer sensitivity for the sensory collapse test than reported by Susan E Mackinnon's team. However, the blinded examiner had no knowledge of the patient's clinical presentation, or even of the purpose of the test. In these conditions, it seems difficult to perform the sensory collapse test correctly. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of the sensory collapse test in the diagnosis of nerve compression in the upper extremity, using a trained, "partially" blinded examiner, with a minimum of clinical information in order to avoid bias due to poor execution of the test, while still unable to influence the test result.

Methods: Seventy-two patients with diagnosis of nerve entrapment in the upper extremity were included prospectively. The sensory collapse test was performed by two examiners, one of whom was blinded to laterality and to the site of nerve compression, aware only of the affected nerve. Using electrodiagnosis study as reference, the sensitivity and specificity of the sensory collapse test were calculated for each examiner.

Results: The unblinded examiner showed 72% sensitivity and 57% specificity, and the blinded 68% sensitivity and 57% specificity.

Conclusions: The sensory collapse test is useful for diagnosis of nerve entrapment in the upper limb, even with a blinded examiner.

Level of evidence: 3:

WALANT (Wide Awake Local Anesthesia No Tourniquet) has been widely implemented in hand surgery. We conducted a systematic review from 1979 to 2022, led by a team of anesthesiologist. Only randomized studies comparing WALANT to other types of regional anesthesia were included. The outcomes studied were pain, duration of the procedure, intraoperative bleeding, complications, and patient satisfaction. Twelve articles were included in the analysis. We found a reduction of 2.77 on the VAS (95% CI -3.79; -1.75, I² 93%) for intraoperative pain in the WALANT group. There was no significant difference (MD 0.79, 95% CI 95% -0.11; 1.69, I² 73%) for duration of surgery. Patient satisfaction was consistently high in the WALANT group. Intraoperative bleeding was minimal and not clinically relevant. Compared to other types of regional anesthesia in hand surgery, the WALANT technique decreases pain for the patients without increasing the length of surgery.

This paper explores transformative strategies in hand therapy aimed at improving the patient experience - a critical factor linked to improved clinical outcomes and increased satisfaction for patients and therapists. The focus is on three key areas: personalized interactions, empathic communication, and sensory engagement. Personalized interactions ensure therapy is uniquely tailored to each patient' needs, fostering a sense of individual attention and care. Empathic communication involves understanding and responding effectively to patients' verbal and nonverbal cues, creating a supportive environment where patients feel genuinely heard. Sensory engagement utilizes the therapeutic environment's visual, olfactory, and auditory elements to create a calming, welcoming space conducive to healing and relaxation. Integrating these strategies aims to increase treatment effectiveness and improve therapist well-being by promoting a fulfilling and less stressful work environment. Through a comprehensive review of existing evidence, current practices and innovative approaches, this paper advocates for a holistic, patient-centered model of hand therapy that significantly improves treatment outcomes and enhances the overall therapeutic experience, ensuring it is both practical and compassionate.

With an aging population and the increasing prevalence of arthritic pathologies of the hand and wrist, denervation is one therapeutic option for hand surgeons. In case of pain but preserved motion, denervation is a treatment of choice. We conducted a systematic review of the literature, searching the MEDLINE, LILACS, SciELO and PubMed databases for cohorts reported in the last 20 years on denervation of the wrist and trapeziometacarpal, metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal joints with a focus on postoperative outcomes, selecting 25 articles. The 1187 patients were divided into 3 groups: wrist denervation (999 patients), trapeziometacarpal denervation (124 patients), and metacarpophalangeal and interphalangeal denervation (64 patients). Improvements were found for pain (55.73%, 86%, 85%, respectively), range of motion (11.8%, 4°, 17°) and satisfaction (80.67%, 87.5%, 81.8%). Grip strength increased in wrist and trapeziometacarpal denervation (31.04% and 23%). The results suggest that denervation can be an alternative to arthroplasty or arthrodesis for painful wrist and hand joints, without precluding subsequent procedures if necessary.

Introduction: The widespread pre-hospital use of tourniquets, particularly in the upper limb, raises questions about associated morbidity, which has been little studied and may have serious consequences for functional prognosis.

Methods: A review of 9 patients was carried out, analyzing pre-hospital tourniquet use in terms of complications affecting recovery.

Results: There were serious complications: musculocutaneous nerve palsy in 1 patient, and compartment syndrome, rhabdomyolysis and ischemia-reperfusion syndrome in another. A role of prolonged pre-hospital tourniquet application in postoperative infection was also suspected in 2 patients.

Discussion: The risk-benefit ratio and indications for using a tourniquet on the upper limb in the pre-hospital setting need to be reconsidered.

Scapholunate ligament lesion is the most common ligament lesion in the wrist. We assessed the reliability of sonography in detecting it during Watson test. Twenty patients with scapholunate ligament lesion confirmed on MRI and intraoperatively were assessed preoperatively between July 2020 and April 2023. Sonography was performed on the scaphoid dorsal subluxation in wrist neutral and during Watson test and compared with the healthy contralateral side. Dorsal subluxation was measured by two independent investigators and intra- and inter-observer reliability were assessed. We found a significant difference between dorsal subluxation of the scaphoid in the healthy (0.89 mm, SD 0.67 mm) compared to the pathological side (1.67 mm, SD 0.95 mm). Reliability was very good and the standard error of measurement was less than 0.4 mm for all measurements. Sonography during Watson test demonstrated high reliability in diagnosing scapholunate lesions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.