The longer pull-out suture as a transmission suture for early active motion of repaired flexor tendon at the proximal zone-2

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to clinically evaluate the technique of longer pull-out suture as a transmission suture for early active motion after flexor tendon repair in the proximal zone-2.

Method: Eleven patients (eight adult male, two adult female and one child) with 19 proximal zone II flexor tendon lacerations were included. Mean age was 35 years. The patients were encouraged to perform active mobilization of the injured digits by themselves with full range of flexion from the first postoperative day. The pull-out suture was removed at the 8-10 weeks after the operation.

Results: The mean follow-up was 39 months. The procedure was well tolerated by all of the patients. A patient of whom pull-out suture was traumatized and loosened at 6th week showed fair result. Two other patients with a history of blunt trauma were also found to have fair results. Overall 16 of the 19 digits were evaluated as excellent or good by the Strickland criteria.

Conclusion: The results of this method show that the longer pull-out suture technique as a transmission suture followed by early active mobilization is safe, has a low re-rupture rate and is easy to perform for proximal zone-2 flexor tendon injuries.