Selective aponeurectomy by Skoog's method in the treatment of Dupuytren's contracture.

Whatever surgical procedure is adopted in Dupuytren's contracture, it demands the utmost finesse and delicacy of technique. Even so, the functional and cosmetic results are often equivocal, but in our view Skoog's technique offers the most practical and effective method of treatment. It offers the following advantages: Duration of operation: In a case of moderate severity affecting only 2 digits the operation can be completed in 30-40 minutes. The surgical trauma is minimal and post-operative complications are therefore minimal. Recovery of function is rapid and there is complete absence of the disturbances associated with prolonged immobilisation. The relapse rate is minimal and certainly no greater than that associated with more radical techniques. The only disadvantage, if it can be so considered, is that the surgeon must be perfectly familiar with the detailed anatomy of the palm and fingers. Since the method does not involve the more extensive exposure and display of all the structures, as in other methods, it is easier in the absence of such knowledge to do accidental damage.