Comparison of Outcomes Following Syndactyly Release with Grafts and Without Grafts

Abstract

Objective: To compare the results of syndactyly release with or without graft in patients with simple syndactyly of hand.

Study Design: Prospective comparative study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Plastic Surgery, Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi Pakistan, from Jul 2017 to Jun 2019

Methodology: Forty-five patients with simple syndactyly were included in this study. Group-1 had 20 patients whose syndactyly was released without using a skin graft. Group-2 had 25 patients whose soft tissue was covered with a fullthickness skin graft between the flaps post syndactyly release. Both groups were compared based on operative time, wound healing time, and when physiotherapy was started post operatively.

Results: The results of our study showed that the mean operative time for the first group was 47.1 ± 4.5 minutes (range 35-60 minutes) and for the second group 90.5 ± 10.0 minutes (range 72-108 minutes) with a p-value <0.001. The wound healing time for the first group was 15.2 ± 1.3 days (12-18 days’ range) and for the second group was 22.5 ± 5.1 days (range 14-30 days) with a p-value <0.001. Post-operative physiotherapy was started earlier in the first group with an average of 20.6 ± 1.3 days (18-22 days’ range) as compared to the second group whose average time of the start of physiotherapy was 27.7 ± 4.4 days (range 20- 35 days) with p-value <0.001.

Conclusion: Syndactyly release without a skin graft has a lesser operative time, early wound healing and an earlier start of physiotherapy than syndactyly release with......