FLEXOR TENDON REPAIR IN ZONE-II WITH A NEW SUTURE TECHNIQUE AND AN EARLY MOBILIZATION PROGRAM COMBINING PASSIVE AND ACTIVE FLEXION

A new epitendinal suture technique (cross-stitch) was used for flexor tendon repair in zone II in 46 consecutive patients with 55 injured di gits. For the first 4 weeks after the operation, the digits were mobil ized with a combination of active extension and passive and active fle xion. Postoperative tendon excursions and gap formation were measured with intraoperatively placed metal markers. There were two ruptures. I n the remaining digits, the mean active distal interphalangeal and pro ximal interphalangeal range of motion 6 weeks postoperatively was 50 d egrees and 83 degrees, respectively. Six months postoperatively the co rresponding figures were 63 degrees and 94 degrees. Three weeks postop eratively the mean tendon excursions per 10 degrees of joint motion va ried from 82% (distal interphalangeal joint motion) to 88% (proximal i nterphalangeal joint motion) of the maximum possible. The results indi cate that the cross-stitch is a reliable suture technique that, when u sed in combination with a program incorporating early active and passi ve flexion, can produce very good results after flexor tendon repair i n zone II.