The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Vol 68, Issue 5 752-763, Copyright © 1986 by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Inc
Two-stage flexor-tendon reconstruction. Ten-year experience
MA Wehbe, B Mawr, JM Hunter, LH Schneider and BL Goodwyn
One hundred and fifty fingers in 136 patients were treated by a two-stage
flexor-tendon reconstruction and followed for an average of 2.4 years. A
salvage procedure such as this was needed for most of these fingers since
81 per cent of the injuries were in Zone 2 and 45 per cent were Grade 5 in
severity. Before reconstruction, the mean total active motion (all joints
combined) for each finger was 102 degrees and the mean grip strength was 20
per cent of normal. At final follow-up, the mean total active motion of
these fingers was 176 degrees and the mean grip strength was 79 per cent of
normal. Three months after tendon-grafting, the results had reached a
plateau, and no significant change occurred thereafter. Complications were
a flexion contracture of varying degree in 41 per cent of the fingers,
especially when a contracture was present preoperatively (40 per cent);
rupture of the tendon graft in 14 per cent; and infection in 4 per cent.
This review reaffirmed the usefulness of two-stage flexor-tendon
reconstruction as a salvage procedure to restore function of flexor
tendons.
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