RESOURCE UTILISATION ASSOCIATED WITH SINGLE DIGIT DUPUYTREN'S CONTRACTURE TREATED WITH EITHER SURGERY OR INJECTION OF COLLAGENASE CLOSTRIDIUM HISTOLYTICUM

The gold standard treatment for Dupuytren's contracture is surgical excision of the cord. A non-surgical treatment with collagenase clostridium histolyticum injection is available but appears costly. Objectives: To provide data on resource consumption related to surgical and non-surgical treatment for Dupuytren's contracture. Design and Participants: Twenty patients with a single digit Dupuytren's contracture, 10 treated with surgical excision, and 10 treated with a single injection of collagenase. Measurements: Minutes spent in theatre, number of follow-up appointments, time to skin healing, and patients return to normal activities of daily living. Results: The injection group was significantly better regarding theatre time (p < 0: 0001), follow- up appointments (p = 0: 048), skin healing time (p < 0: 001), and return to normal activities of daily living (p = 0: 02) than the operated group. Conclusions: There are significant personal and health economic differences between the two methods of treatment which may influence local choice.