CLASSIFICATION AND TREATMENT OF CLOSED SAGITTAL BAND INJURIES

Twenty-eight nonrheumatoid patients were treated for sagittal band inj uries. The digits involved, in order of frequency, were long, small, i ndex, and ring. We observed three clinical types of sagittal band inju ries: type I, injury without extensor tendon instability; type II, inj ury with tendon subluxation; and type III, injury with tendon dislocat ion. Eight of nine patients with small finger involvement had radial s agittal band injuries; four of them presented with abduction deformity of the small finger. Satisfactory results were achieved with nonopera tive treatment when it was initiated within 3 weeks of injury. Splinti ng was the initial treatment for all patients. Ten patients were treat ed either by centralization of the extensor tendon of the central two digits to provide pain-free stability or tendon transfer to correct sm all finger abduction deformity.