Collagenase Injection vs Percutaneous Needle Aponeurotomy for Dupuytren's Disease

Dupuytren's disease is a non-curative, progressive disorder leading to function-impairing deformities of the hand. Although numerous treatments exist, the most common and widely accepted therapy is removal of diseased fascia. Surgery is limited by prolonged recovery time, and many patients require multiple surgeries throughout their life as the disease progresses, with repeat surgeries increasing the risk of complications. Long recovery times and need for repeat surgeries has renewed interest in minimally invasive treatments for Dupuytren's disease. Percutaneous needle aponeurotomy (PNA) allows for rapid improvement in finger extension with minimal recovery time. The FDA approved collagenase clostridium histolyticum injection for Dupuytren's disease in 2010, which also allows for rapid increase in finger extension, also with minimal recovery time. Currently there is only one small study comparing PNA and collagenase injection (CI) that suggests similar outcomes in both treatments. Both treatments are minimally invasive, requiring minimal time off work and post-procedure pain. The main barrier to widespread adoption of CI is cost, particularly in patients with multiple areas of disease requiring treatment. The project proposed will compare these two methods for treating Dupuytren's disease. Approximately 334 participants will be recruited from patients referred for treatment to hand surgeons trained in CI and PNA at two Calgary, AB hospitals. Need for treatment will be determined in the usual fashion, and the option for entry into the study will be proposed to patients meeting inclusion/exclusion criteria. Participants will be randomized into either the PNA or CI treatment group. The surgeon will not be blinded to the procedure group; however, the therapist measuring outcomes will be, and the study participants will need to not divulge to the therapists which group they are in. Both procedures are performed under local freezing, and range from 5-20minutes. PNA inv