CYCLIC TESTING OF FLEXOR TENDON REPAIRS - AN IN-VITRO BIOMECHANICAL STUDY

Forty cadaveric flexor digitorum profundus tendons were repaired using the Tajima, Halsted, Silfverskiold, or Savage techniques. The tendons were cyclically loaded in sets of 4,000 cycles beginning at 25 N and increasing by 10-N increments until failure occurred. Cap formation wa s continuously monitored with an extensiometer. Only the Savage repair group consistently withstood 4,000 cycles of 25-N loading, with respe ct to 2-mm gap formation and repair rupture. Tendon repairs subjected to cyclic loading demonstrated gap formation and repair rupture at low er loads than with static testing. Of the methods of flexor tendon rep air tested, only the Savage technique could withstand simulated early active motion.