The prognosis of fasciectomy for abductor digiti minimi and pretendinous cords in Dupuytren's disease of the little finger.

Thirty-nine consecutive patients with little finger Dupuytren's contracture underwent open fasciectomy. Diseased abductor digiti minimi (ADM) pretendinous (PT) cords were identified. The mean pre-operative PIPJ contracture was 77 degrees in the PT group and 66 degrees in the ADM group. Mean residual deformity was 12 degrees in the PT group and 9 degrees in the ADM group. At six months, ten out of 27 patients had developed a recurrent deformity in the PT group (mean 24 degrees ) and seven out of 11 in the ADM group (mean 18 degrees ). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups at any stage. Dupuytren's contracture of the little finger is as a result of an ADM cord in 29% of cases. In this series it led to an isolated contracture of the PIPJ in the majority of cases and rarely affected the MCPJ. Disease of the ADM cord was not associated with a difference in contracture or prognosis compared to a PT cord.