Stretching Alone Can Change P1 Bone Shape in Patients with Camptodactyly
Filed under Reviews
Woo Hong, S. Kim, J., Sang Kwon, O., Ho Lee, M., Sik Gong, H., Hyun Baek, G., (2019). Radiographic Remodeling of the Proximal Phalangeal Head Using a Stretching Exercise in Patients With Camptodactyly. J Hand Surg Am, 1.e1-1.e10
The Skinny – Camptodactyly is a congenital, nontraumatic flexion contracture of the PIP in fingers other than the thumb. Type 1 Camptodactyly ( Isolated anomaly in children <36 months) also includes volarly angulated and beak-shaped flat proximal phalangeal head. This study investigated the impact of a stretching-only camptodactyly treatment plan on restoration of Proximal Phalangeal head angulation as well as joint contracture.
In The Weeds – In a retrospective cohort study using radiographic series, 48 digits in 20 patients <36 months with >12 months of follow up were studies. 2 indexes were created to measure Head Angle (HA) and Head Triangle Ratio, or head shape (HTR).
Camptodactyly Stretches: Parents conducted a minimum of 20 sessions/day of a minimum of 5 minutes/session on affected fingers. Wrist and MCP were held in extension to increase FDS and FDP tension while force was applied to DIP joint flexion crease. This was done for 12 months.
Results: “roundness and concentricity of the proximal phalangeal head was restored in all cases” with statistical significance. Flexion contracture of the PIP decreased from 34 degrees ± 13 to 6 degrees ±7.
Bring it Home – Radiographic imaging indicates that stretching alone can restore the shape and angulation of the proximal phalangeal head and decrease flexion contracture. There was no correlation between contracture angle and boney shape throughout the study. This study had significant intra and inter-rater reliability for HA and HTR measures and control group illustrated that bone growth alone did not account for change in these parameters.
While other types (i.e. ages) of camptodactyly need to be studied, this study supports the strong value in stretching exercises for this diagnosis (camptodactyly exercises). Younger patients are particularly more receptive due to soft tissues being more extensile and the joint is more flexible. While the stretching protocol in this study is extensive, and may not be maintainable by many families, this approach is highly effective in achieving results non-surgically.
2 Comments
Leave a Comment
More To Read
Why Burnout Happens in Hand Therapy and What We Can Do About It.
Why Burnout Happens in Hand Therapy There are several reasons why burnout can occur, this is especially true for healthcare workers. What We Can Do About It Final Thought:Burnout isn’t a personal failure, it is often a systemic issue. But we do have power over how we respond. As hand therapists, we are experts at…
Read More
Multiple Avenues of Pin Site Care in Hand Therapy
By: Megan Prather The prevalence of external fixation with pins in the upper extremity setting and the high rates of pin site infection make identifying a protocol for pin site care important for therapists. Across literature, there are many different pin site care protocols varying in frequency, solutions, materials, and manual cleaning. Despite many studies…
Read More
Upper extremity weight-bearing tolerance
Barlow, S.J., Scholtz, J. & Medeiros (2020). Wrist weight-bearing tolerance in healthy adults. Journal of Hand Therapy, xxx currently in press. The Skinny Wrist pain and instability are common occurrences and can occur with acute or chronic injuries. This leads to significant dysfunction, including the inability to tolerate axial loading through the upper extremity. There is…
Read More
Mechanism of Interneural Edema in Carpal and Cubital Tunnel
Mechanism of Interneural Edema Over the last few weeks I have been learning about ultrasonic imaging and carpal tunnel syndrome. When reviewing carpal tunnel syndrome, I learned that intraneural edema is a common sign of compression injuries such as carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel. There are numerous causes of carpal tunnel syndrome, and every scenario…
Read More
Sign-up to Get Updates Straight to Your Inbox!
Sign up with us and we will send you regular blog posts on everything hand therapy, notices every time we upload new videos and tutorials, along with handout, protocols, and other useful information.
Is it possible for me to obtain a copy of the full article?
We can’t distribute the article itself, but the reference is provided so you can still find it. If you have a connection at a local university they may be able to pull it for you. Or Google Scholar will often have articles available in full print for viewing.