A Prospective Follow-up Study of Fingertip Amputation Treatment with Semi-occlusive Dressing

Abstract

Background: The aim of this prospective cohort was to evaluate the conservative treatment of fingertip amputation with exposed bone, with a semi-occlusive dressing. Methods: Ten patients with an amputation distal to the distal interphalangeal joint were treated via secondary healing under a semi-occlusive film dressing. We followed up the patients weekly until the fingertip had healed, then a final clinical visit at 6 months, and a patient-reported outcome assessment at 2 years after the injury. Results: All 10 patients completed the 6-month clinical follow-up, and seven patients completed the final patient-rated outcome assessments at 2 years. There were no complications during the study period, all the patients were satisfied with the results, and all answered "fully agree" on choosing the same treatment method again in a similar injury. Conclusion: Our results show that conservative treatment of fingertip amputation is feasible and can provide good results.