Based on a study of Needle Aponevrotomy of 992 hands and 3736 procedures:
Stage 1 Contractures: GOOD 93%, BAD 7%
Stage 2 Contractures: GOOD 78%, BAD 22%
Stage 3 Contractures: GOOD 71%, BAD 29%
Stage 4 Contractures: GOOD 56%, BAD 44%

OVERALL TOTALS: GOOD 81%, BAD 19%

(Good meant 71-100% successful straightening, BAD 70% or less). Stage 1,2 was EXCELLENT 90%+, Stage 3 was GOOD.

RECURRANCES was 50% less than traditional surgery.

For more details go to this site:
http://assoc.wanadoo.fr/f.badois/Dupuytren/html/gbresultats95.html
or http://assoc.wanadoo.fr/f.badois/dupuytren.html and click statistics

Jim,
Recurrence is not 50% less than traditional surgery as you stated. Also the numbers of 50% recurrence after 5 years for traditional surgery is about right for fasciotomies, but the common procedure of limited fasciectomy has a recurrence rate less than that of NA and fasciotomies. The procedure that compares favorably for recurrence with limited fasciectomies is Segmental Aponeurectomy made popular in Belgium by J.P. Moermans, M.D.

Sean - Do you or others personally know anyone who has had limited aponeurectomy performed? Do we know any doctors who perform this operation? Seems like a method to consider.

Fred,
I haven't heard of anyone else doing Segmental Aponeurectomy outside of Belgium.

Jim,
The only reference I saw was:

"A comparison of medical fasciotomy with surgical fasciectomy, reported in 1993 (Badois and Coll.), showed that short-term outcomes were comparable.
The five-year recurrence rate is high (>50%) with both procedures."

Was there another reference you were talking about? The limited fasciectomy has a better (or lower recurrence) than that of the fasciotomy and NA. The limited fasciectomy has a recurrence rate similar to Segmental Aponeurectomy which, as far as I know, is only practiced in Belgium at J.P. Moermans clinic.