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Dupuytren’s disease has a high recurrence rate, especially when a person has so called Dupuytren’s diathesis. The term diathesis relates to certain features of Dupuytren's disease and indicates an aggressive course of disease.
The presence of all new Dupuytren’s diathesis factors increases the risk of recurrent Dupuytren’s disease by 71% compared with a baseline risk of 23% in people lacking the factors. In another study the prognostic value of diathesis was evaluated. They concluded that presence of diathesis can predict recurrence and extension. A scoring system was made to evaluate the risk of recurrence and extension evaluating the following values: bilateral hand involvement, little finger surgery, early onset of disease, plantar fibrosis, knuckle pads and radial side involvement.
Minimally invasive therapies may precede higher recurrence rates. Recurrence lacks a consensus definition. Furthermore, different standards and measurements follow from the various definitions.
Several alternate therapies such as vitamin E treatment, have been studied, although without control groups. Most doctors do not value those treatments. None of these treatments stops or cures the condition permanently.
Laser treatment (using red and infrared at low power) was informally discussed in 2013 at an International Dupuytren Society forum, as of which time little or no formal evaluation of the techniques had been completed.
Only anecdotal evidence supports other compounds such as vitamin E.
No specific work up is defined. Stenosing tenosynovitis is a clinical diagnosis. However, if rheumatoid arthritis is suspected, laboratory evaluation of is granted (e.g. rheumatoid factor). Imaging studies are not needed to diagnose the condition. However, they can be valuable adjuvants to achieve a diagnosis. An ultrasound or MRI ( the most reliable study) can demonstrate increased thickness of the involved tendons. Thickening and hyper-vascularization of the pulley are the hallmarks of trigger fingers on sonography.
Most hand injuries are minor and can heal without difficulty. However, any time the hand or finger is cut, crushed or the pain is ongoing, it is best to see a physician. Hand injuries when not treated on time can result in long term morbidity.
Antibiotics in simple hand injuries do not typically require antibiotics as they do not change the chance of infection.
Burn scar contractures do not go away on their own, although may improve with the passage of time, with occupationaltherapy and physiotherapy, and with splinting. If persistent the person may need the contracture to be surgically released. Techniques may include local skin flaps (z-plasty) or skin grafting (full thickness or split thickness). There are also pharmacy and drug-store treatments that can be used to help scar maturation, especially silicone gel treatments. Prevention of contracture formation is key. For instance, in the case of a burned hand one would splint the hand and wrap each finger individually. In the instance of burns on the neck, hyperextension of the neck (i.e. no use of pillows) should be maintained during the healing process. Carbon dioxide laser therapy is now also used to aid in the loosening of surrounding skin, although is yet to form as part of an official global rehabilitation program.
About 1.8 million people go to the emergency department each year due to hand injuries.
Burn scar contracture refers to the tightening of the skin after a second or third degree burn. When skin is burned, the surrounding skin begins to pull together, resulting in a contracture. It needs to be treated as soon as possible because the scar can result in restriction of movement around the injured area.
Prevention of the condition requires restoration of blood flow after injury and reduction of compartmental pressure on the muscles. Any splints, bandages, or other devices that might be obstructing circulation must be removed. A fasciotomy may be required to reduce pressure in the muscle compartment. If the contracture occurs, surgery to release the fixed tissues may help with the deformity and function of the hand.
Splinting, non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and corticosteroid injections are regarded as conservative first-line treatments for stenosing tenosynovitis. However, NSAIDs have been found to be ineffective as a monotherapy. Early treatment of trigger thumb has been associated with better treatment outcomes. Surgical treatment of trigger thumb can be complicated by injury to the digital nerves, scarring, tenderness, or a contracture of the joint. A significantly higher rate of symptom improvement has been observed when surgical management is paired with corticosteroid injections when compared to corticosteroid injections alone.
Occupational therapy is based on relieving the symptoms and reducing the inflammation. Overall cure rate, for dutifully applied non-operative treatment, is over 95% [citation needed]. Several modalities of treatment exists, depending on the chronicity and severity of the condition.
- Modification of hand activities
- Exercise & stretching
- Local heat
- Extension splinting during sleep (custom metacarpophalangeal joint (MCP joint) blocking splint, which has reported better patient's symptomatic relief and functionality and a distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint blocking splint)
Treatment consists of injection of methylprednisolone often combined with anesthetic (lidocaine) at the site of maximal inflammation or tenderness. The infiltration of the affected site can be performed blinded or sonographically guided, and often needs to be repeated 2 or three times to achieve remission. An irreducibly locked trigger, often associated with a flexion contracture of the PIP joint, should not be treated by injections.
- Transection of the fibrous annular pulley of the sheath
For symptoms that have persisted or recurred for more than 6 months and/or have been unresponsive to conservative treatment, surgical release of the pulley may be indicated. The main surgical approaches are percutaneous release and open release. The percutaneous approach, is preferred in some centers due to its reported shorter time of recuperation of motor function, less complications, and less painful. Complication of the surgical management include, persistent trigger finger, bowstringing, digital nerve injury, and continued triggering.
Of note, diabetes seems to be a poor prognostic indicator for nonoperative treatment and may develop stiffness after surgical release.
There are few good estimates of prevalence for pes cavus in the general community. While pes cavus has been reported in between 2 and 29% of the adult population, there are several limitations of the prevalence data reported in these studies. Population-based studies suggest the prevalence of the cavus foot is approximately 10%.
Surgical treatment is only initiated if there is severe pain, as the available operations can be difficult. Otherwise, high arches may be handled with care and proper treatment.
Suggested conservative management of patients with painful pes cavus typically involves strategies to reduce and redistribute plantar pressure loading with the use of foot orthoses and specialised cushioned footwear. Other non-surgical rehabilitation approaches include stretching and strengthening of tight and weak muscles, debridement of plantar callosities, osseous mobilization, massage, chiropractic manipulation of the foot and ankle, and strategies to improve balance. There are also numerous surgical approaches described in the literature that are aimed at correcting the deformity and rebalancing the foot. Surgical procedures fall into three main groups:
1. soft-tissue procedures (e.g. plantar fascia release, Achilles tendon lengthening, tendon transfer);
2. osteotomy (e.g. metatarsal, midfoot or calcaneal);
3. bone-stabilising procedures (e.g. triple arthrodesis).
In cases of a minor deviation of the wrist, treatment by splinting and stretching alone may be a sufficient approach in treating the radial deviation in RD. Besides that, the parent can support this treatment by performing passive exercises of the hand. This will help to stretch the wrist and also possibly correct any extension contracture of the elbow. Furthermore, splinting is used as a postoperative measure trying to avoid a relapse of the radial deviation.
More severe types (Bayne type III en IV) of radial dysplasia can be treated with surgical intervention. The main goal of centralization is to increase hand function by positioning the hand over the distal ulna, and stabilizing the wrist in straight position. Splinting or soft-tissue distraction may be used preceding the centralization.
In classic centralization central portions of the carpus are removed to create a notch for placement of the ulna. A different approach is to place the metacarpal of the middle finger in line with the ulna with a fixation pin.
If radial tissues are still too short after soft-tissue stretching, soft tissue release and different approaches for manipulation of the forearm bones may be used to enable the placement of the hand onto the ulna. Possible approaches are shortening of the ulna by resection of a segment, or removing carpal bones. If the ulna is significantly bent, osteotomy may be needed to straighten the ulna. After placing the wrist in the correct position, radial wrist extensors are transferred to the extensor carpi ulnaris tendon, to help stabilize the wrist in straight position. If the thumb or its carpometacarpal joint is absent, centralization can be followed by pollicization. Postoperatively, a long arm plaster splinter has to be worn for at least 6 to 8 weeks. A removable splint is often worn for a long period of time.
Radial angulation of the hand enables patients with stiff elbows to reach their mouth for feeding; therefore treatment is contraindicated in cases of extension contracture of the elbow. A risk of centralization is that the procedure may cause injury to the ulnar physis, leading to early epiphyseal arrest of the ulna, and thereby resulting in an even shorter forearm. Sestero et al. reported that ulnar growth after centralization reaches from 48% to 58% of normal ulnar length, while ulnar growth in untreated patients reaches 64% of normal ulnar length. Several reviews note that centralization can only partially correct radial deviation of the wrist and that studies with longterm follow-up show relapse of radial deviation.
Treatment generally includes the following:
- Sometimes pharmacologic therapy for initial disease treatment
- Physical therapy
- Occupational therapy
- Use of appropriate assistive devices such as orthoses
- Surgical treatment
Garrod's pads (also known as "violinist's pads") are a cutaneous condition characterized by calluses on the dorsal aspect of the interphalangeal joints, i.e. the back side of the finger joints. They are often seen in violin, viola, and cello players, along with fiddler's neck and other dermatologic conditions peculiar to string musicians. Although Garrod’s pads are conventionally described as appearing on the proximal interphalangeal joint, Rimmer & Spielvogel document an instance on the distal interphalangeal joint of a cellist.
Garrod's pads are named after Archibald Garrod who first documented them in 1904 in association with Dupuytren's contracture. H.A. Bird described them as an incidental finding in a professional violinist and proposed that they arise in such cases due to repeated extreme tension of the extensor tendons over the interphalangeal joints. Bird noted that violin players use the left hand for a markedly different task than the right hand, with the extensor tendons in the left hand subjected to considerable tension, and that Garrod’s pads only arise on the left hand in such cases. This unilateral finding differentiates the occupational hazard of Garrod’s pads from more significant disorders. Among violinists and violists, Garrod’s pads apparently arise as a protective mechanism for the skin and subcutaneous tissues above the tendons; Bird notes that they do not protect against external trauma unlike most calluses.
Patients with Dupuytren's contracture are four times more likely to have coexisting Garrod's pads.
Compartment syndrome is a clinical diagnosis made by a physician. It can be tested for by gauging the pressure within the muscle compartments. If the pressure is sufficiently high, a fasciotomy will be required to relieve the pressure. Various recommendations of the intracompartmental pressure are used with some sources quoting >30 mmHg as an indication for fasciotomy while others suggest a <30 mmHg difference between intracompartmental pressure and diastolic blood pressure. This latter measure may be more sensible in the light of recent advances in permissive hypotension, which allow patients to be kept hypotensive in resuscitation. It is now relatively easy to measure compartment and subcutaneous pressures using the pressure transducer modules (with a simple intravenous catheter and needle) that are attached to most modern anaesthetic machines.
Most commonly compartment syndrome is diagnosed through a diagnosis of its underlying cause and not the condition itself. According to Blackman one of the tools to diagnose compartment syndrome is X-ray to show a tibia/fibula fracture, which when combined with numbness of the extremities is enough to confirm the presence of compartment syndrome.
Any fracture in elbow region or upper arm may lead to Volkmann's ischemic contracture, but it is especially associated with supracondylar fracture of the humerus.
Volkmann's contracture results from acute ischaemia and necrosis of the muscle fibres of the flexor group of muscles of the forearm, especially the flexor digitorum profundus and flexor pollicis longus. The muscles become fibrotic and shortened.
The condition is caused by obstruction on the brachial artery near the elbow, possibly from improper use of a tourniquet, improper use of a plaster cast, or compartment syndrome. It is also caused by fractures of the forearm bones if they cause bleeding from the major blood vessels of the forearm.
If a contracture is less than 30 degrees, it may not interfere with normal functioning. The common treatment is splinting and occupational therapy. Surgery is the last option for most cases as the result may not be satisfactory.
Mechanical tension on a wound has been identified as a leading cause for hypertrophic scar formation.
When a normal wound heals, the body produces new collagen fibres at a rate which balances the breakdown of old collagen. Hypertrophic scars are red and thick and may be itchy or painful. They do not extend beyond the boundary of the original wound, but may continue to thicken for up to six months. They usually improve over one or two years, but may cause distress due to their appearance or the intensity of the itching; they can also restrict movement if they are located close to a joint.
Some people have an inherited tendency to this type of scarring, for example, those with Ehlers–Danlos syndrome, classic type. It is not possible to completely prevent hypertrophic scars, so those with a history of them should inform their doctor or surgeon if they need surgery. Scar therapies may speed up the process of change from a hypertrophic scar to a flatter, paler one.
The most important factors of knee stability include:
- Ligaments of the knee: The knee joint is stabilized by four main ligaments:
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The ACL has an important role in stabilization of knee extension movement by preventing the knee from hyperextending.
- Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL)
- Medial collateral ligament (MCL)
- Lateral collateral ligament (LCL)
- Joint capsule or articular capsule (especially posterior knee capsule)
- Quadriceps femoris muscle
- Appropriate alignment of the femur and tibia (especially in knee extension position )
A urologist may be able to diagnose the disease and suggest treatment. An ultrasound can provide conclusive evidence of Peyronie's disease, ruling out congenital curvature or other disorders.
A hypertrophic scar is a cutaneous condition characterized by deposits of excessive amounts of collagen which gives rise to a raised scar, but not to the degree observed with keloids. Like keloids, they form most often at the sites of pimples, body piercings, cuts and burns. They often contain nerves and blood vessels. They generally develop after thermal or traumatic injury that involves the deep layers of the dermis and express high levels of TGF-β.
Research on prenatal diagnosis has shown that a diagnosis can be made prenatally in approximately 50% of fetuses presenting arthrogryposis. It could be found during routine ultrasound scanning showing a lack of mobility and abnormal position of the foetus. Nowadays there are more options for visualization of details and structures can be seen well, like the use of 4D ultrasound. In clinic a child can be diagnosed with arthrogryposis with physical examination, confirmed by ultrasound, , or muscle biopsy.
Many other surgeries are also able to improve function in joints of arthrogryposis patients. These surgeries usually exist out of tendon transfers and skin flap movements, adjusted to the individual.
Camptodactyly is a medical condition that causes one or more fingers to be permanently bent. It involves fixed flexion deformity of the proximal interphalangeal joints. The fifth finger is always affected.
Camptodactyly can be caused by a genetic disorder. In that case, it is an autosomal dominant trait that is known for its incomplete genetic expressivity. This means that when a person has the genes for it, the condition may appear in both hands, one, or neither. A linkage scan proposed that the chromosomal locus of camptodactyly was 3q11.2-q13.12.