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Background: The aims of this study were to assess the safety and efficacy of a technique of partial percutaneous pulley release.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study was undertaken treating adults with seed ganglia with a percutaneous pulley release. The patients were reviewed independently after a mean of 6 (range 6–36) months.

Results: We treated 24 patients over a 3 year period. There were 14 women and ten men. The mean age was 39 (range 17-65) years. We were able to assess 21 patients with long term follow up. There was complete resolution in 14 (2/3) and partial resolution in four. The remaining three patients had persisting symptoms and requested open surgical excision. Apart from local tenderness and failure of resolution there were no complications of percutaneous pulley release.

Conclusions: Bursting or aspiration of flexor sheath ganglia appears to be the best primary treatment. If the ganglion recurs, this study suggests a percutaneous release is safe and will resolve the symptoms in most patients.

Background: Flexor sheath infections require prompt diagnosis, and management with intravenous antibiotics and/or surgical washout followed by hand therapy. Complication rates as high as 38% have been reported. Our unit takes a relatively conservative approach to the management of flexor sheath infections and select patients are managed non-surgically via our outpatient antibiotic service where they are clinically reviewed and receive a once daily dose of intravenous antibiotics. The aim of this study is to determine if outpatient management of flexor sheath infections was associated with an increased risk of complications compared to those admitted as an inpatient.

Methods: A retrospective review was carried out with all patients clinically diagnosed with flexor sheath infection who were seen at our unit between January 2014 and December 2020. Age, gender, co-morbidities, cause of infection, management and subsequent complications were recorded.

Results: A total of 128 patients with flexor sheath infections were treated. And 68% were male. Mean age was 50.4 years. A trend towards fewer presentations each year with animal bites, foreign bodies and penetrating trauma as the main cause of infection was noted. And 89% (n = 114) required admission with the other 11% (n = 14) treated as an outpatient. And 77% (n = 98) underwent surgical washout. And 6% (n = 8) suffered a complication.

Conclusions: While flexor sheath washout continues to be standard practice, 23% of patients were safely managed with intravenous antibiotics and 11% purely via an outpatient service.

Level of Evidence: Level IV (Therapeutic)