Dupuytren's Disease: a Predominant Reason for Elective Finger Amputation in Adults

Dupuytren's disease (DD) can lead to severe disabling finger contractures resistant to surgical treatment. In some cases, finger or ray amputation is considered, due to a severe functional deficit or vascular injury. To evaluate the weight of amputation surgery in DD, a retrospective study was conducted over a 5-year time interval, outlining all indications for elective finger amputation and its prevalence in the total of surgical interventions for DD. The outcome in DD was compared to post-traumatic amputations. Out of 31 elective finger and ray amputations, 12 (39%) were indicated for DD, all in the 4th or 5th ray, of which 92% were in recurrent disease. In the 646 surgical procedures for DD in the matching time interval, we conclude that almost 2% were elective amputations. The outcome of amputation in DD was similar to post-traumatic amputations. Based on these data, we feel that patients should be informed that sometimes, surgical treatment for Dupuytren's disease can lead to an eventual decision to amputate.