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. 2021 Jun 26;3(5):272-277.
doi: 10.1016/j.jhsg.2021.05.001. eCollection 2021 Sep.

Does Use of a Night Extension Orthosis Improve Outcomes in Patients With Dupuytren Contracture Treated With Injectable Collagenase?

Nathan Lorris Bowers  1 , Gregory Alan Merrell  2 , Todd Foster  3 , F Thomas D Kaplan  2
Affiliations

Does Use of a Night Extension Orthosis Improve Outcomes in Patients With Dupuytren Contracture Treated With Injectable Collagenase?

Nathan Lorris Bowers et al. J Hand Surg Glob Online. .

Abstract

Purpose: Current prescribing information for the treatment of patients with Dupuytren contracture with injectable collagenase Clostridium histolyticum (CCH) recommends use of a night extension orthosis for 4 months after treatment. The present study examines whether this treatment improves the outcomes.

Methods: Adult patients with Dupuytren contracture treated with CCH during the study period were eligible for inclusion. The patients were randomized to orthosis or no orthosis groups and were stratified based on the severity of contracture prior to randomization. The orthosis group was fitted postmanipulation with a hand-based custom orthosis that held the treated finger in maximal comfortable extension, and the patients were instructed to wear the orthosis at night for 3 months. The patients were assessed at 7-10 days, 30 days, and 90 days postmanipulation. Orthosis compliance was measured with a survey. The primary outcome measure was improvement in total active extension (TAE), defined as the sum of active metacarpophalangeal (MCP), proximal interphalangeal, and distal interphalangeal joint extension in the treated finger at 90 days after treatment. Secondary outcomes included total active flexion (TAF), Michigan Hand Questionnaire scores, patient satisfaction, and clinical success.

Results: Twenty-six patients completed the study, 12 in the orthosis group and 14 in the no orthosis group. The majority of contractures (90%) were primarily through the MCP joint. The patients in both the groups demonstrated significant improvements in TAE at 90-day follow-up (orthosis P = .002, no orthosis P = .001) . The difference in improvement in the median TAE between the 2 groups was not significant (P = .40). There were no significant differences between groups for TAE, TAF, Michigan Hand Questionnaire scores, patient satisfaction, or clinical success at any of the time points assessed (P > .05).

Conclusions: In patients with Dupuytren contracture with primarily MCP joint involvement, providing an orthosis after treatment with CCH may not offer a short-term benefit compared with CCH treatment alone in terms of TAE, TAF, or patient-reported outcome measures.

Type of study/level of evidence: Therapeutic I.

Keywords: Collagenase; Dupuytren; Orthosis fabrication.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CONSORT 2010 flow diagram. Adult patients with Dupuytren contracture and a palpable cord treated with CCH by the primary investigator (28 patients) or his designee (1 patient) from February 2018 to January 2020 were screened for inclusion in the study.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Graph showing the median TAE in each group, with ranges from the 25th to the 75th percentile.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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