About this trial
Nerve injury in the fingers is a common injury and affects people of all ages. The treatment usually offered to patients is surgery and various types of rehabilitation. There is a lack of knowledge and research on how these injuries should be treated in the best way and how well sensory function can be restored after an injury. In this research project, we will investigate results after treatment for digital nerve injuries by entailing a randomised controlled trial allocating patients with isolated digital nerve injuries to either surgical repair or non-operative treatment in a cast. Primary outcome is digital nerve function as measured by 2-points discrimination at 1 year after treatment. Secondary outcomes include finger mobility, dexterity, handfunction, occurence of pain and anxiety and time on sick leave.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Clinical signs of isolated traumatic digital nerve injury in digits 2, 3, 4 or 5.
Patient age => 20 years on day of injury.
Injury location on volar aspect of finger.
Acute sensory dysfunction in suspected digital nerve injury area.
Disqualifiers
Digital nerve injury ot the thumb
Digital nerve injury in the palm of the hand (i e proximal to the finger base)
Patient does not speak or read the Swedish language.
Abusive drug or alcohol use
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Epineural suture
- Non-operative treatment