Clinical results of dermofasciectomy for Dupuytren's disease in Japanese patients

The surgical outcomes of dermofasciectomy for Dupuytren's disease were evaluated in nine hands of eight patients in a Japanese population. The patients were examined for postoperative complications, problems associated with the skin graft, evidence of recurrent disease, sensation over the graft and pre- and postoperative range of motion at the metacarpophalangeal and the proximal interphalangeal joints. The mean two-point discrimination over the skin graft was 14mm. The mean remaining flexion contracture at the metacarpophalangeal joint was 5 degrees and that at the proximal interphalangeal joint was 34 degrees. Recurrence occurred in two patients: one had a minor nodule and the other a natatory cord, which did not result in the redevelopment of a contracture. This study supports the use of dermofasciectomy for the treatment of recurrent Dupuytren's disease, as well as for the treatment of primary disease in those patients with a strong Dupuytren's diathesis in this population.