DYNAMIC CIRCLE TRACTION FOR SEVERELY COMMINUTED INTRAARTICULAR FINGERFRACTURES

Treatment of severely comminuted unstable intra-articular finger fract ures has three goals: reconstruction of the articular surfaces, preven tion of redislocation of those surfaces, and proper healing of the cap suloligamentous apparatus. Dynamic circle traction (DCT), as described by Schenck (1 986), is based on these principles and is the first met hod of treatment combining traction with intermittent or continuous pa ssive motion. In order to improve on this method we applied continuous , instead of intermittent, passive motion in a newly developed DCT-dev ice (continuous dynamic circle-traction = CDCT). Its first clinical us e is discussed below. Our results with DCT, in eight patients, and CDC T, in four patients, are encouraging. Full function was regained at fo llow-up, in both groups, in three-quarters of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and half of the proximal interphalangeal (PIP)joints involved. A verage loss of range of motion of the other MCP and PIP joints was 3.7 -degrees and 5.6-degrees respectively. Treatment with CDCT may yield b etter results than DCT, the small number of patients treated and the r elatively short period of follow-up does not justify comparison of bot h methods.