This female patient hyperextended her ring finger six months prior to being referred to Dr. Escalante. She had a 90° flexion contracture. Splinting was not successful in reducing the contracture.

A Digit Widget was used to treat the deformity. After 9 weeks the contracture was corrected to nearly full extension, but the joint would lose extension whenever the elastic band tension was removed for a day or so.

At 14 weeks post Digit Widget installation, the patient had exploratory surgery in the palm. The bone pins were left in the middle phalanx. Exploration of the flexor tendons revealed a rupture of the FDP with adhesions to the FDS. A tendolysis was performed and the FDP was excised.

The Digit Widget was worn for another 4 weeks. Final PIP motion was 30-90°. This case shows how the Digit Widget can be helpful in revealing the cause of a PIP contracture. As the joint moves throughout a more normal arc of motion, the cause of the contracture can be more easily determined.

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