Fasciectomy and Dupuytren's disease: a comparison between the open-palm technique and wound closure.

An analysis of 153 patients treated surgically for Dupuytren's disease is presented. One hundred fifteen patients were treated with the closed-palm technique, while 38 patients were treated with the open-palm technique. The groups were comparable in terms of preoperative metacarpophalangeal and proximal interphalangeal joint involvement, as well as the total number of rays involved. The patients were analyzed in terms of average pre- and post-operative total active motion (TAM) in the digital joints. The patients in the closed-palm group had a 10% improvement in TAM surgery, while those in the open-palm group had a 17% improvement (p less than 0.05). The complication rate in the closed-palm group was 19% and in the open-palm group, 8%. There were no hematomas in the open-palm group and no infections in either group. In a later follow-up of 103 patients who could be contacted, 33 of the 78 closed-palm group showed residual contracture (42%), while five of the 25 open-palm group were similarly affected (20%).