It was about October, 2003 when a hand suregon in Jupiter Florida became aware of the fact that while the only mechanical treatment of Dupuytren's Contracture in the USA was radical invasive surgery which usually involved making zigzag incisions in each affected finger plus an incision in the hand palm. This would be followed by several weeks in a splint and then weeks and perhaps months of physical therapy to regain use of that hand. Dr. Eaton learned that in France a procedure identified as needle aponevrotomy had been in use for more than thirty years. He traveled to France and worked with a hand surgeon in Paris performing a number of aponevrotomies. When he returned to Florida he began doing this procedure and has done more than two hundred such releases of the contracting bands which cause the disfiguration.
Patients having needle aponevrotomy are in treated in about thirty minutes and can use the treated hand immediately. There is almost no bleeding and very little discomfort. Additional information is available at the two links shown below.
