372 Efficacy of Enhanced Figure of 8 Percutaneous Repair of Failed Closed Soft Tissue Mallet Finger

Abstract

Introduction Chronic tendinous mallet finger injuries are commonly treated with an open operative fixation. Aim To evaluate a new technique of closed reduction and fixation using a percutaneous figure of 8 suture for treating closed tendinous mallet finger injury. Method We conducted a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data of 8 consecutive patients, undergoing percutaneous fixation of chronic mallet finger injuries. All patients had failed conservative splinting of duration 10.5 weeks (9–12 weeks) with a residual extensor lag of the distal interphalangeal joint greater than 30 degrees. Surgery was performed using a minimally invasive technique using a 3–0 proline suture in a percutaneous figure of 8 pattern, by going through the periosteum on both sides and providing rigid hyperextension. Patients were kept in a splint for 7 days followed by full mobilisation under supervision of hand therapists. Results The average age of our cohort was 51 (40–62 years old). At an average of 6.2 months All patients achieved correction of deformity to less than10 degrees. The overall functional outcome was good to excellent in all patients with no incidence of recurrence at last follow up. There was no instance of skin necrosis or wound complications in any of the patients. Conclusions The new figure of 8 percutaneous technique is an effective, safe, and minimally invasive approach for closed tendinous mallet finger injures. This needs further validation by analysing outcomes in a larger cohort.