Early active mobilization after primary repair of the flexor pollicis longus tendon

A Simple Technique Ensuring Adequate Exposure During Primary Repair of Complex Thumb Injuries

As the thumb is pronated, primary repair of complex injuries may be more difficult than the repair of other digits. We describe a simple technique that facilitates thumb repair. We insert a Kirschner wire perpendicular to the bone axis in the middle of the proximal phalanx, which ensures adequate exposure of the palmar aspect without the need for thumb position adjustment by an assistant. This technique is particularly useful when inexperienced surgeons perform thumb replantation and primary flexor tendon repair using a multistrand suture technique.

Complications of flexor tendon repair

This article reviews and highlights complications of flexor tendon repairs. Although the outcomes of flexor tendon repairs have improved over the years, fair or poor functional outcomes are seen, especially in patients whose trauma involves multiple structures of the hand and in zone 5 with multiple tendon lacerations. Rupture of the flexor tendon after repair is no longer a major problem if current repair principles are carefully adhered to. Different degrees of adhesion formations and interphalangeal (IP) joint stiffness still occur in a few patients. Early active postoperative mobilization and use of a shorter splint with sparing of the wrist are effective measures to prevent adhesion formation and IP joint stiffness. Given the overall poor results and high rate of complications with flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) repairs in zone 1, a direct repair of the FDP tendon to any short remnant of the distal insertion with 10-strand or even stronger core suture repair is adopted by many units.

Six-Strand Flexor Pollicis Longus Tendon Repairs With and Without Circumferential Sutures: A Multicenter Study

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study is to assess outcomes in flexor pollicis longus tendon repairs with 6-strand core sutures with and without circumferential sutures.

METHODS

A 6-strand core suture technique with and without circumferential sutures was used. Thirty-three patients were summarized in the C group (circumferential group) and 16 patients in the NC group (non-circumferential group). After the surgery, the wrist was stabilized with a dorsal blocking splint and a controlled early active motion protocol was applied. At weeks 6, 13, and 26 data on demographics, type of injury, surgery, postoperative rehabilitation, complications such as re-rupture and the following outcome measurements were collected: range of motion and its recovery according to the Tang criteria, Kapandji score, thumb and hand strengths, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score, and satisfaction.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences in range of motion and strength between the 2 treatment groups. In both groups, the outcome measurements increased over time and they expressed similar satisfaction with the surgical treatment. In 4 patients of the C group tendon repair ruptured and in 1 patient of the NC group.

CONCLUSIONS

Six-strand repair technique is an effective procedure to assure early active motion after flexor pollicis longus tendon injuries and good results can also be achieved by omitting the circumferential suture.