Predictors of Patient Satisfaction with Hand Function after Fasciectomy for Dupuytren's Contracture.

BACKGROUND

This study examined patient satisfaction with hand function after fasciectomy for Dupuytren's contracture and determined which preoperative patient- and disease-specific factors predicted this satisfaction.

METHODS

Demographics and disease-specific factors were assessed from a prospective cohort of 194 patients who completed the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire preoperatively and underwent limited fasciectomy between 2011 and 2014 at six hand surgery practice sites. To evaluate satisfaction with hand function, patients were asked to complete the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire during the first year after fasciectomy. After patients were classified into a satisfied and an unsatisfied category using the question that specifically pertains to satisfaction with hand function, the authors applied multivariate logistic regression modeling to identify independent predictors of patient satisfaction.

RESULTS

At an average of 10 months (range, 6 to 12 months) after fasciectomy, 84 percent (n = 163) of the patients were satisfied with their hand function. In multivariate analyses adjusting for the degree of postoperative residual contracture (p < 0.001) and complications (p < 0.001), a higher preoperative Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire hand appearance subscore and male gender predicted a higher likelihood of becoming satisfied after fasciectomy. Other patient- and disease-specific factors did not show evidence for an association with patient satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study suggest that providers should consider assessing concerns about the appearance of the hand in patients with Dupuytren's contracture. They also highlight the importance of complication prevention and full contracture correction from the patient's perspective.

CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Risk, III.