Primary Flexor Tendon Repair in “No Man’s Land”

Abstract

Fifty-eight patients with 67 fingers with flexor tendon injuries in Bunnell’s “no man’s land” treated with primary repair were re-examined 14–84 months after surgery. Thirty-five fingers had repair of both tendons, and in thirty-two fingers the superficialis tendon was excised and only the profundus tendon was repaired. Postoperatively thirty-one fingers were treated by Kleinert’s rubber band traction, and in thirty-six fingers a dorsal plaster of Paris was applied. The functional end-result was evaluated according to the method of Buck-Gramcko. Seventy-four per cent of fingers with suture of both tendons and 47 per cent of fingers with suture of only the profundus tendon attained an excellent or good result. The fingers treated by Kleinert’s rubber band traction achieved the most favourable functional result, but many inconstant factors had influence upon this evaluation. The number of re-operations were significantly higher after repair of only the profundus tendon.