Long term follow-up of dermofasciectomy for Dupuytren's contracture.

During the 4-year period 1980-1983, we carried out 338 operations for Dupuytren's disease of the hand. Of these 46 (13.6%) had a dermofasciectomy and skin graft for recurrent disease. In this sub-group, 34 patients (10.1%) were operated on by the same senior surgeon (H.G.B.). Only these cases were included in this study. Average follow-up was 100 months (range 80-120 months). It was found that graft durability was good, there was no clinical evidence of recurrence beneath grafts, contracture did not exceed 15 degrees at any joint and two point discrimination in the graft was equal to, or better than, 12 mm in the palm and 8 mm in the digit.