scholarly journals Epidemiology of Flexor Tendon Injuries of the Hand in a Northern Finnish Population

2016 ◽  
Vol 106 (3) ◽  
pp. 278-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Manninen ◽  
T. Karjalainen ◽  
J. Määttä ◽  
T. Flinkkilä

Background: Flexor tendon injuries cause significant morbidity in working-age population. The epidemiology of these injuries in adult population is not well known. The aim of this study was to describe the epidemiology of flexor tendon injuries in a Northern Finnish population. Material and Methods: Data on flexor tendon injuries, from 2004 to 2010, were retrieved from patient records from four hospitals, which offer surgical repair of the flexor tendon injuries in a well-defined area in Northern Finland. The incidence of flexor tendon injury as well as the gender-specific incidence rates was calculated. Mechanism of injury, concomitant nerve injuries, and re-operations were also recorded. Results: The incidence rate of flexor tendon injury was 7.0/100,000 person-years. The incidence was higher in men and inversely related to age. The most common finger to be affected was the fifth digit. In 37% of injuries also digital nerve was affected. The most common finger to have simultaneous digital nerve injury was the thumb. Conclusion: Flexor tendon laceration is a relatively rare injury. It predominantly affects working-aged young males and frequently includes a nerve injury, which requires microsurgical skills from the surgeon performing the repair. This study describes epidemiology of flexor tendon injuries and therefore helps planning the surgical and rehabilitation services needed to address this entity.

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Griffin ◽  
S Hindocha ◽  
D Jordan ◽  
M Saleh ◽  
W Khan

Flexor tendon injuries still remain a challenging condition to manage to ensure optimal outcome for the patient. Since the first flexor tendon repair was described by Kirchmayr in 1917, several approaches to flexor tendon injury have enabled successful repairs rates of 70-90%. Primary surgical repair results in better functional outcome compared to secondary repair or tendon graft surgery. Flexor tendon injury repair has been extensively researched and the literature demonstrates successful repair requires minimal gapping at the repair site or interference with tendon vascularity, secure suture knots, smooth junction of tendon end and having sufficient strength for healing. However, the exact surgical approach to achieve success being currently used among surgeons is still controversial. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the results of studies demonstrating the current knowledge regarding the optimal approach for flexor tendon repair. Post-operative rehabilitation for flexor tendon surgery is another area, which has caused extensive debate in hand surgery. The trend to more active mobilisation protocols seems to be favoured but further study in this area is needed to find the protocol, which achieves function and gliding but avoids rupture of the tendons. Lastly despite success following surgery complications commonly still occur post surgery, including adhesion formation, tendon rupture and stiffness of the joints. Therefore, this review aims to discuss the appropriate management of these difficulties post surgery. New techniques in management of flexor tendon will also be discussed including external laser devices, addition of growth factors and cytokines.


Hand Surgery ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 07 (01) ◽  
pp. 83-100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith A. Bell Krotoski

Any restoration of hand function following tendon and nerve injury has to include the repair or replacement of the hand's ability to perform a great many tasks. It is hard at first to appreciate fully the loss that occurs with flexor tendon injury. With loss of flexor tendons operating at the fingers or thumb, they cannot be fully closed and the hand is impaired for grasp and release as it interfaces with objects. But, sensibility can also be compromised from tendon injury even without direct injury to nerve, as object recognition in the absence of vision requires finger movement. When peripheral nerve injury is combined with flexor tendon injury, sensibility is directly impaired. There is a loss in the sense of finger or thumb position, pain, temperature, and touch/pressure recognition, in addition to the tendon injury.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (03) ◽  
pp. 430-436
Author(s):  
Jae-Hwi Nho ◽  
Sang-Woo Lee ◽  
Mi-Ae Nam ◽  
Byung-Sung Kim ◽  
Ki Jin Jung

Avulsion fracture of the volar base of the distal phalanx is a rare injury. Zone 1 flexor tendon injuries can be treated with either internal or external fixation techniques. Pull-out suture repairs are often used for FDP tendon avulsion injuries. However, the pull out suture technique is associated with a number of well documented complications including nail bed injury and pressure necrosis. Despite the variety of techniques available for the repair of acute distal zone 1 flexor tendon injuries, no one technique has proven to be superior to all others. We address our experience with treatment of FDP avulsion injuries using suture anchor and miniscrew. Our technique supplements the suture anchor technique, which often causes a lack of strength, with an additional miniscrew. We introduce two cases of combined method using both suture anchor and miniscrew for treatment of FDP avulsion injuries.


2009 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 444-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. COERT ◽  
M. W. STENEKES ◽  
A. M. J. PAANS ◽  
J.-P. A. NICOLAI ◽  
B. M. DE JONG

After flexor tendon injury, most attention is given to the quality of the tendon repair and postoperative early passive dynamic mobilisation. Schemes for active mobilisation have been developed to prevent tendon adhesions and joint stiffness. This paper describes five patients to demonstrate the cerebral consequences of immobilisation allowing only passive movements, which implies a prolonged absence of actual motor commands. At the end of such immobilisation, PET imaging revealed reduced blood flow in specific motor areas, associated with temporary loss of efficient motor control. Effective motor control was regained after active flexion exercises which was reflected in normalised cerebral activations. This suggests that temporary, reversible cerebral dysfunction may affect the outcome of flexor tendon injuries.


1988 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 269-272
Author(s):  
M. SINGER ◽  
S. MALOON

This study is a critical analysis of results obtained following primary repair and post-operative controlled mobilisation of flexor tendon injuries which were treated by registrars with up to six months experience in hand surgery. 70 (55%) of 125 patients who underwent repair of a complete flexor digitorum profundus or flexor pollicis longus tendon injury during a 14-month period attended for review and these had a total of 140 injured digits. 93 (67%) were rated Lister’s standards as an “excellent” or “good” result. 39 (28%) occurred in “no man’s land” (Zone 2) and only 19 (49%) in this area were rated “excellent” or “good”. Isolated flexor digitorum superficialis tendon injuries have been excluded from this study, as have partial tendon injuries.


Hand Surgery ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 17 (03) ◽  
pp. 365-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. S. C. Bidwai ◽  
L. Feldberg

The "button over the nail" is the most commonly used technique in order to re-insert the flexor digitorum profundus tendon into the distal phalanx in the management of Zone 1 injuries. Recent evidence in the literature has highlighted an associated morbidity with the technique. In this study, 37 patients were identified that had been treated using the "button technique", for which outcome data is collected by hand therapists as part of a prospective flexor tendon injury audit. Retrospective case note review was performed to determine incidence of post-operative surgical complications. There were limited complications with the use of the "button technique" overall. However, functional outcome when compared to other studies are relatively poor with mean range of motion at the distal interphalangeal joint being 37.5 degrees. The authors would recommend any decision to change technique for the management of these injuries should consider functional outcome in the presence of a low surgical complication rate.


2021 ◽  
pp. 175319342110244
Author(s):  
Giovanni Munz ◽  
Andrea Poggetti ◽  
Luca Cenci ◽  
Anna Rosa Rizzo ◽  
Marco Biondi ◽  
...  

We report the outcomes of delayed primary repair of flexor tendons in Zone 2 in 31 fingers and thumb (28 patients) averaging 15 days (range 4–37) after injury in 2020. The delay was longer than usual due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The tendons were repaired with a 6-strand core suture (M-Tang method) or a double Tsuge suture and a peripheral suture. This was followed by an early, partial-range, active flexion exercise programme. Adhesions in four digits required tenolysis. These patients were not with longest delay. Outcomes of two improved after tenolysis. The other two patients declined further surgery. One finger flexor tendon ruptured in early active motion. This was re-repaired, and final outcome was good. Overall excellent and good results using the Tang criteria were in 27 out of 31 fingers and thumbs (87%). The time elapsed between the injury and surgery is not an important risk factor for a good outcome, rather it depends on proper surgical methods, the surgeon's experience and early mobilization, properly applied. Adhesions may occur, but they can be managed with tenolysis. Level of evidence: IV


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