Dr. Agha reviewed recommended administration of calcium hydroxylapatite, which is meant to be injected in bolus fashion midway between the dorsal crease of the wrist and the metacarpophalangeal joints, in a zone between the second and the fifth metacarpal bones. Dr. Agha says that in her practice, she has the patient make a tight fist, and then she performs vigorous massage of the hand immediately to distribute the product.
This is followed by application of a soapy cleanser, icing, and hand elevation for the first 24 hours post-injection. It’s important that patients be advised to expect moderate edema for up to 10 days, and that they avoid vigorous manual activities in the first week, said Dr. Agha.
Results from clinical trials indicate that between 70% and 80% of patients can expect an improvement of at least one point on a clinician-rated hand appearance scale, while over 98% of patients consider their hands subjectively improved at 1 month after treatment, and 86% of patients still feeling their hands are improved at 1 year post-treatment with calcium hydroxylapatite.
Dr. Agha reported being on the advisory boards of Taro Pharmaceutical Industries and Aqua Pharmaceutical.
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