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Journal of Hand Surgery (British and European Volume)
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Rehabilitation of Digital Nerve Repair: Is Splinting Necessary?

T. D. CLARE
S. DE HAVILAND MEE
H. J. C. R. BELCHER

From the Department of Plastic Surgery, The Queen Victoria Hospital, Holtye Road East, East Grinstead, West Sussex, UK

Correspondence: Mr T.D. Clare, 42 The Drive, Morden, Surrey, SM4 6DJ, UK. Tel.: +20-8648-6132; fax: +77-4095-0942; E-mail: tomsc42{at}aol.com

Forty isolated, sharp digital nerve divisions, which had been repaired by microsurgical techniques, were reviewed between 12 and 36 months postoperatively (mean, 20 months). Half of the repairs had been splinted beyond the immediate postoperative period and half had not. Non-splinted patients returned to work significantly quicker than those who were splinted. Splinted patients reported more stiffness and cold intolerance but splinting made no difference to either the measured sensibility or movement of the digit. We would conclude that, after repair of sharp, uncomplicated digital nerve divisions, splinting beyond the immediate postoperative period is at least unnecessary and may be deleterious.

Key Words: digital nerve • repair • rehabilitation • splinting • outcome

Journal of Hand Surgery (British and European Volume), Vol. 29, No. 6, 552-556 (2004)
DOI: 10.1016/J.JHSB.2004.03.011
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