Occlusive Dressing vs Palmar Pedicular Island Flap in Fingertip Amputation

Occlusive Dressing vs Palmar Pedicular Island Flap in Fingertip Amputation: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Our study aims to prospectively compare outcomes of conservative treatment (occlusive dressing) to surgery with a palmar bipedicled island flap (modified Tranquilli-Leali flap) in the management of Allen zones II-III-IV fingertip injuries in long fingers. Based on these results, the investigators intend to help provide guidelines to optimize the management, and eventually the satisfaction of these patients.

The investigators intend to conduct a prospective tricentric (Hand Surgery Service in CHUV( Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne/ Hand Surgery Service in HUG (Hôpitaux Universitaire de Genève and Hand Surgery Service in Valais hospital, Sierre), open-label, randomized controlled trial: Occlusive dressing versus surgery in fingertips amputation. The investigators will collect demographic data and informations about the injury including age, sex, medical history and daily medications, occupation, dominant hand, active smoking, mechanism of injury, associated injuries, time from injury to management, size and geometry (volar/transverse/dorsal) of defect, level of amputation (Allen classification), injury and repair of the nail bed. Patients will be randomized into the occlusive dressing group or the surgical group on their first visit to the Hand Surgery department. Both groups will have 6 months and 1-year follow-up appointment, including Ultrasound evaluation.

patients will be evaluated on admission and benefit from wound irrigation, debridement and placement of a simple dressing with Adaptic or Jelonet, either in the Emergency department or in the Hand Surgery department. At 48 hours, they will be addressed to the Hand Surgery department to place a self-adhesive polyurethane film according. Follow-up will include a visit at 1 week for dressing change, and then weekly for further dressing change until healing

In surgical group, coverage with a bipedicled palmar island flap will be performed ambulatory, either on admission if patients are directly oriented to the Hand Surgery department, or within 48h of initial visit for patients addressed from the Emergency department. The flap group will be evaluated on admission, at 48h, and 6 weeks.

The initial step is wound debridement. To design the flap, a longitudinal line is drawn at the junction of the volar and dorsal parts of the finger, starting from the distal part of the proximal interphalangeal joint flexion crease. It will be harvested from distal to proximal dissecting the digital canal plane. By releasing the Cleland and Grayson ligaments, the neurovascular bundle will be dissected. On the intermediate phalange, the dorsal branch of the neurovascular bundle must be preserved to maintain blood flow to the dorsal skin. Dissection is completed at the junction between the palmo-dorsal arteries and the collateral neurovascular bundles on both sides of the finger. A triangle may be resected at the distal edge of the flap to reshape of the pulp. Bone may be resected if needed to allow tension-free closure of the distal part of the flap. No Immobilization will be necessary.

patients will be evaluated on admission and benefit from wound irrigation, debridement and placement of a simple dressing with Adaptic or Jelonet, either in the Emergency department or in the Hand Surgery department. At 48 hours, they will be addressed to the Hand Surgery department to place a self-adhesive polyurethane film. Follow-up will include a visit at 1 week for dressing change, and then weekly for further dressing change until healing. Skin proximal to the injury will be degreased to increase adherence of the dressing. Distally, the film leaves a pocket to collect wound exudate. During treatment, the foul-smelling liquid produced by the wound and clots collected in the occlusive dressing will not be removed. A gauze covers the occlusive dressing to protect the liquid pocket and cover potential smell.

Patients will be instructed to rate their satisfaction (according to different criteria: overall hand function, activities of daily living, work performance, pain, and cosmetic) by checking on a horizontal line their degree of satisfaction. After evaluation, their measurement was considered as a continuous measure (0-100 mm). Higher scores indicate better satisfaction.

Distal fingertip sensibility (Semmens-Weinstein and 2 points discrimination test). Finger range of motion of the PIP(Proximal InterPhalangeal) and DIP (Distal InterPhalangeal) joints (goniometer) Coloration and pigmentation of the pulp (Dermacatch). Dexterity (Nine hole peg test). Cold intolerance using the Cold Intolerance Symptom Severity (CISS) (40). Hook nail deformity. Distal phalanx bone length before and after treatment (X-Ray). Echography multiparameters analysis: thickness of the pulp (B-mode), vascularization of the pulp (Echo-doppler), Elasticity of the pulp (Shear wave elastography) (25). Complications: infection rate, wound dehiscence rate, flap failure rate. Time of complete healing, time before returning to work.

Inclusion Criteria: Patients > 18 years old Allen zones II-III-IV long finger amputation. Trauma < 48h. Exclusion Criteria: Patients who are not able to give consent Injuries involving the DIP joint, extensor apparatus or requiring osteosynthesis. Chronic dermatological disorders of the hand, immunosuppressive drugs or chemotherapy. - Patient without a consent form would be excluded.

Sindhu K, DeFroda SF, Harris AP, Gil JA. Management of partial fingertip amputation in adults: Operative and non operative treatment. Injury. 2017 Dec;48(12):2643-2649. doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2017.10.042. Epub 2017 Oct 31.

Conn JM, Annest JL, Ryan GW, Budnitz DS. Non-work-related finger amputations in the United States, 2001-2002. Ann Emerg Med. 2005 Jun;45(6):630-5. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2004.10.012.

van den Berg WB, Vergeer RA, van der Sluis CK, Ten Duis HJ, Werker PM. Comparison of three types of treatment modalities on the outcome of fingertip injuries. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2012 Jun;72(6):1681-7. doi: 10.1097/TA.0b013e318248bc8c.

Hattori Y, Doi K, Ikeda K, Estrella EP. A retrospective study of functional outcomes after successful replantation versus amputation closure for single fingertip amputations. J Hand Surg Am. 2006 May-Jun;31(5):811-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2006.02.020.

Sebastin SJ, Chung KC. A systematic review of the outcomes of replantation of distal digital amputation. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2011 Sep;128(3):723-737. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e318221dc83.

Soucacos PN. Indications and selection for digital amputation and replantation. J Hand Surg Br. 2001 Dec;26(6):572-81. doi: 10.1054/jhsb.2001.0595.

Allen MJ. Conservative management of finger tip injuries in adults. Hand. 1980 Oct;12(3):257-65. doi: 10.1016/s0072-968x(80)80049-0.

Lee LP, Lau PY, Chan CW. A simple and efficient treatment for fingertip injuries. J Hand Surg Br. 1995 Feb;20(1):63-71. doi: 10.1016/s0266-7681(05)80019-1.

Lee DH, Mignemi ME, Crosby SN. Fingertip injuries: an update on management. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2013 Dec;21(12):756-66. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-21-12-756.

Ma GF, Cheng JC, Chan KT, Chan KM, Leung PC. Finger tip injuries--a prospective study on seven methods of treatment on 200 cases. Ann Acad Med Singap. 1982 Apr;11(2):207-13.

Peterson SL, Peterson EL, Wheatley MJ. Management of fingertip amputations. J Hand Surg Am. 2014 Oct;39(10):2093-101. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2014.04.025.

Tos P, Titolo P, Chirila NL, Catalano F, Artiaco S. Surgical treatment of acute fingernail injuries. J Orthop Traumatol. 2012 Jun;13(2):57-62. doi: 10.1007/s10195-011-0161-z. Epub 2011 Oct 8.

Tang JB, Elliot D, Adani R, Saint-Cyr M, Stang F. Repair and reconstruction of thumb and finger tip injuries: a global view. Clin Plast Surg. 2014 Jul;41(3):325-59. doi: 10.1016/j.cps.2014.04.004.

de Alwis W. Fingertip injuries. Emerg Med Australas. 2006 Jun;18(3):229-37. doi: 10.1111/j.1742-6723.2006.00851.x.

Krauss EM, Lalonde DH. Secondary healing of fingertip amputations: a review. Hand (N Y). 2014 Sep;9(3):282-8. doi: 10.1007/s11552-014-9663-5.

Weichman KE, Wilson SC, Samra F, Reavey P, Sharma S, Haddock NT. Treatment and outcomes of fingertip injuries at a large metropolitan public hospital. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2013 Jan;131(1):107-112. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e3182729ec2.

Panattoni JB, De Ona IR, Ahmed MM. Reconstruction of fingertip injuries: surgical tips and avoiding complications. J Hand Surg Am. 2015 May;40(5):1016-24. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2015.02.010. Epub 2015 Mar 29.

Germann G, Rudolf KD, Levin SL, Hrabowski M. Fingertip and Thumb Tip Wounds: Changing Algorithms for Sensation, Aesthetics, and Function. J Hand Surg Am. 2017 Apr;42(4):274-284. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2017.01.022.

Saraf S, Tiwari V. Fingertip injuries. Indian J Orthop. 2007 Apr;41(2):163-8. doi: 10.4103/0019-5413.32051.

Lemmon JA, Janis JE, Rohrich RJ. Soft-tissue injuries of the fingertip: methods of evaluation and treatment. An algorithmic approach. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2008 Sep;122(3):105e-117e. doi: 10.1097/PRS.0b013e3181823be0.

Hoigne D, Hug U, Schurch M, Meoli M, von Wartburg U. Semi-occlusive dressing for the treatment of fingertip amputations with exposed bone: quantity and quality of soft-tissue regeneration. J Hand Surg Eur Vol. 2014 Jun;39(5):505-9. doi: 10.1177/1753193413489639. Epub 2013 May 21.

Dumontier C, Gilbert A, Tubiana R. Hook-nail deformity. Surgical treatment with a homodigital advancement flap. J Hand Surg Br. 1995 Dec;20(6):830-5. doi: 10.1016/s0266-7681(95)80057-3.

Jafari P, Muller C, Grognuz A, Applegate LA, Raffoul W, di Summa PG, Durand S. First Insights into Human Fingertip Regeneration by Echo-Doppler Imaging and Wound Microenvironment Assessment. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 May 13;18(5):1054. doi: 10.3390/ijms18051054.

Wang L, Yuan SY. A simple and direct procedure for excision of peripheral skin above the nail root to enable nail lengthening after fingertip amputation. J Plast Reconstr Aesthet Surg. 2012 Sep;65(9):e265-6. doi: 10.1016/j.bjps.2012.03.022. Epub 2012 Apr 3. No abstract available.

Serane-Fresnel J, Lafosse T, Amsallem L, Chaves C, Delpit X, Chassat R, Masmejean EH. Fingertip reconstruction by palmar bipedicular island flap in long fingers (modified neurovascular Tranquilli-Leali flap): A dual-center study. Hand Surg Rehabil. 2020 Feb;39(1):59-64. doi: 10.1016/j.hansur.2019.11.003. Epub 2019 Nov 15.

Clark DP, Scott RN, Anderson IW. Hand problems in an accident and emergency department. J Hand Surg Br. 1985 Oct;10(3):297-9. doi: 10.1016/s0266-7681(85)80047-4.

Quell M, Neubauer T, Wagner M. [Treatment of fingertip defect injuries with a semi-occlusive dressing]. Handchir Mikrochir Plast Chir. 1998 Jan;30(1):24-9. German.