IN-VITRO STRENGTH OF FLEXOR-TENDON REPAIRS

OBJECTIVE: TO compare the standard Tajima technique for flexor-tendon repair of the hand with three neu techniques with respect to strength and technical ease of the repair and bulk at the repair site. DESIGN: A randomized analysis of human cadaver flexor digitorum superficialis tendon repairs. Sm?sc: A musculoskeletal research laboratory at a univ ersity-affiliated health centre. MATERIAL: Thirty-nine fresh-frozen ca daveric flexor digitorum superficialis tendons from index, long and ri ng fingers harvested and divided transversely. The tendons were random ly allocated for repair by the current standard technique or one of th ree new techniques. INTERVENTIONS: The standard Tajima (modified Kessl er) technique, and the Halsted, Savage or Silfverskiold technique. MAI N OUTCOME MEASURES: The time to perform each repair, the cross-section al dimension and the load to failure of the tendon repairs. RESULTS: T he Savage repair tolerated the highest loads, followed by the Halsted, Silverskiold and Tajima repairs. The Silfverskiold technique mas the least time-consuming to perform, followed by the Tajima, Halsted and S avage repairs. All of the techniques increased the cross-sectional dim ensions of the tendon: the Silfverskiold repair by at least 50% and th e Savage repair by ol er 100%. Although none of the techniques tested performed ideally, all three new techniques provided greater initial s tatic strength than the standard Tajima method. CONCLUSION: Further in -vitro and in-vivo studies of these new techniques of flexor-tendon re pair of the hand are necessary to optimize the treatment of these inju ries.