Trapped finger injury.

Forty-one patients with trapped finger injuries, 50% of whom were three years of age or younger, were studied. All patients were treated with a conservative regimen, and a satisfactory result in terms of the appearance and function was achieved in 95% of patients, thus eliminating the need for more complex surgical procedures. In the paediatric age group, a secure dressing is imperative for the satisfactory union of tissue. Such a regimen eliminates the need for hospital admission and general anaesthesia, and, in terms of the final result, supports the hypothesis that, in the very young, a certain amount of regeneration occurs to compensate for lost tissue.