Retrospective study for clinical efficacy comparison of operative treatment and conservative treatment by short finger brace for closed tendinous mallet finger

Objective To compare the clinical efficacy of operative treatment and conservative treatment by short finger brace for closed tendinous mallet finger. Methods From October 2014 to December 2016, 104 patients with closed tendinous mallet finger were treated. Among them, 54 patients underwent operative treatment (group A) and 50 patients underwent conservative treatment by short finger brace (group B). All the patients were followed up clinically. The active range of motion, pain and complications of affected fingers were recorded. The clinical efficacy was evaluated according to Abouna and Brown functional evaluation criteria. The difference of clinical efficacy between the two groups was statistically analyzed. Results The follow-up time of group A was 5 to 12 months with an average of 6.3 months, while that of group B was 4 to 14 months with an average of 7.1 months. According to Abouna and Brown functional evaluation criteria, the results were rated as excellent in 30 cases, good in 15 cases, poor in 9 cases with the excellent and good rate being 83.3% in group A; while the results were rated as excellent in 28 cases, good in 16 cases, poor in 6 cases with the excellent and good rate being 88.0% in group B. There was no significant difference in the excellent and good rate between the two groups, and there was no significant difference in the degree of pain between the two groups (P>0.05). The operation of group A was complicated with complications such as wound infection, foreign body reaction, nail bed deformity and so on. In group B, only one case had slight pressure sore after treatment, which returned to normal after proper nursing. Conclusion The clinical efficacy of conservative treatment by short finger brace for closed tendinous mallet finger is not significantly different from that of operative treatment. However, the conservative treatment has the advantages of simple operation, low cost and fewer complications. Key words: Tendon injuries; Comparative effectiveness research; Mallet finger; Conservative treatment; Operative treatment