title: Treatment of mallet fingers in Dutch hospitals: a nationwide survey of practice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to create an overview of the treatment of mallet fingers in Dutch hospitals.
  
  
  METHODS
  A national online questionnaire was used to determine the treatment of mallet fingers in Dutch emergency units.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data were received from 58 units (response rate 97%). All the emergency units treated an uncomplicated mallet finger with a splint. The treatment of complicated mallet fingers was less uniform. The departments of general, orthopaedic and plastic surgery were involved in the treatment and their involvement varied according to the type of mallet finger and showed variations in the follow-up treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a general consensus on the treatment of uncomplicated mallet fingers. The follow-up treatment of uncomplicated lesions as well as the treatment of complicated mallet fingers should be fields of future research.
authors.affiliation: Departments of aPlastic Surgery bEmergency Medicine, Catharina Hospital cHand Centre, Eindhoven dDepartment of Surgery, Division of Vascular Surgery, University Medical Centre Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Annet
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haagsma
authors.forename: Herman L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.forename: Astrid C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Quintus
authors.forename: Nicolette J M
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Strikkeling
authors.forename: Clark J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Zeebregts
authors.forename: Jeroen M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Smit
mesh_terms: D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005383:Finger Injuries / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013165:Splints / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires