Gliding characteristics of tendon repair in canine flexor digitorum profundus tendons

The gliding resistance between the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendon and the proximal pulley system was measured using the method of S. Uchiyama , J.H. Coert, L. Berglund, P.C. Amadio, K.N. An (J. Orthop. Res. 13 (1995) 83) in 108 adult dog digits in vitro. The FDP tendons were then lacerated t o 80% of their transverse section. Each tendon was repaired with one of the following six suture techniques: Kessler, modified Kessler, Savage, Lee, B ecker and simple running suture alone. Each repaired tendon was then tested again using the same method. The Student-Newman-Keuls test for multiple co mparisons was performed for statistical analysis. The average gliding resis tances of the Kessler, Savage, and Becker repairs were significantly greate r than the resistances of the Lee, modified Kessler, and running suture alo ne repairs (P < 0.05). The Lee suture technique had a significantly greater resistance than the modified Kessler repair and the running suture (P < 0. 05). The results of the peak gliding resistance followed the same trends, e xcept that the modified Kessler repair was significantly higher than the ru nning suture alone (P < 0.05). Suture techniques with a multi-strand core s uture, with knots located outside the tendon surface, and with multiple-loo ps on the tendon surface may result in increased gliding resistance between the tendon and pulley system after tendon repair. (C) 2001 Orthopaedic Res earch Society. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.