Evaluation of the results of staged flexor tendon reconstruction

ABSTRACT

Twenty-one fingers in 19 patients were treated by a two-staged flexor tendon reconstruction. All injuries were in [no man's land] and both superficialis and profundus tendons were severed. The digits were evaluated 6 months or longer after stage-II surgery. The result were graded by comparing the preoperative passive motions of the metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal and distal interphalangeal joints after stage-I to the active motions of the same joints after stage-II. Overall end results were 19% excellent, 38.1% good, 23.9% fair and 19% poir. The result were affected by the patient age, severity of the injury, infection, adhesion and degree of flexion deformity prior to stage II. Complications included synovitis in 14.3%, infection in 9.5%, rupture of the tendon graft in 9.5% and adhesions after tendon grafting in 23.8%, This study revealed that staged tendon reconstruction is a useful method for restoration of digital function in flexor tendon injury with a badly scarred tendon bed