[Treatment of post-traumatic swan-neck deformities of the fingers. Apropos of a series of 43 patients].

Abstract

Thirty three patients with 51 swan neck deformities were reviewed with a mean follow up of 35 months (6 to 86 months). 8 fingers presenting some stiffness necessitated a first step of splinting before operation giving nevertheless 5 excellent and good results. Among the other fingers with full range of passive motion surgery was performed in 38 cases with 81.5 per cent of excellent and good results. According to etiology, articular or extrinsic, excellent and good results were respectively 71 per cent and 94 per cent. The most frequently used operations were Littler type II (12 cases) and Littler type III (S.O.R.L. 11 cases) giving respectively 75 per cent and 82 per cent of excellent and good results, despite frequent minor complications. Tenodesis with translocation of a lateral extensor band gave in half the cases some extension lack at DIPJ (less than 20 degrees in 62.5 per cent). Finally direct surgery of mallet finger complicated by a swan-neck deformity led constantly to good correlation at the PIP level.