Does the patient satisfaction correlate with sensorial recovery after primary repair of digital nerves and flexor tendons?

Abstract

Background: We aimed to evaluate the correlation of patients' satisfaction with sensorial evaluation results after primary repair of digital nerves and flexor tendons. Materials and Methods: In total, 31 fingers of 25 patients that underwent primary repair for clear-cut digital nerve and flexor tendon injuries were included in this retrospective study. The mean age of the patients was 34.8 ± 9.4 years. Patients' gender, age at admission, trauma date, and injured finger were obtained from patients' folders. We called the patients for the last follow-up and used two-point discrimination (2PD) and Semmes–Weinstein monofilament (SWM) tests to evaluate sensorial recovery. Patients were interviewed for hand dominance, cold intolerance, and if they were satisfied. Visual analog scale (VAS) was used to evaluate the satisfaction of patients related to the injured finger. We analyzed correlations between VAS score and age, follow-up period, 2PD score, SWM score, cold intolerance score, gender, hand dominance, and the injured finger. Results: Patients' satisfaction was significantly correlated only with cold intolerance score. There was no significant correlation between patients' satisfaction and age, follow-up period, gender, hand dominance, injured finger, 2PD score, and SWM score. Conclusion: Our study revealed that patients' satisfaction was not only correlated with sensorial recovery scores but also significantly negatively correlated only with cold intolerance, and novel modalities to treat this phenomenon are required. Moreover, patients' satisfaction was not related to age, gender, hand dominance, and the injured finger; hence, surgeons should focus on meticulous repair of digital nerves in any age, for any gender, and any finger of patients.

Keywords

• Cold intolerance
• digital nerve injury
• flexor tendon laceration
• patients' satisfaction
• sensorial recovery