A series of 126 patients who had post-traumatic dystrophy of the hand
and foot, with a follow-up of more than five years in most, is described.
Nearly all had continuing symptoms and signs. An additional twenty-seven
patients, with twenty-eight involved extremities, who were referred from
various hospitals in Toronto were treated with one or more intravenous
injections of a solution of lidocaine and corticosteroid followed by
standard physical therapy. The results were satisfactory or better in
twenty-one extremities and poor in seven. Of the twenty-one with a
satisfactory result, eleven (six patients with involvement of the hand,
bilateral in one, and four patients with involvement of the foot) had an
excellent result while the other ten showed substantial improvement. The
most important factor in predicting improvement with treatment was a short
interval (less than six months) between the onset of dystrophy and the
administration of therapy.