The Journal of hand surgery
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Blinded, prospective, randomized clinical trial comparing volar, dorsal, and custom thermoplastic splinting in treatment of acute mallet finger.
To compare volar, dorsal, and custom splinting techniques in acute Doyle I mallet finger injuries. ⋯ No lag difference was demonstrated between custom thermoplastic, dorsal padded aluminum splint, and volar padded aluminum splinting for Doyle I acute mallet fingers. Clinical measurement overestimates true lag in mallet injuries. Increased lag occurs after discontinuation of splinting. Increased age and complications correlate with worse radiographic lag.