A Clinical Study of Flexor Tendon Grafts for Injured Fingers

Lee, Kwang Suk; Kim, Kwang Hoe; Seo, Kyung Hwan

Abstract

Although the primary repair has been recognized so far, the tendon graft is reported as a primary treatment method for tendon injury in no man's land of Bunnel, judging from the state of injured hand, the ability of operator and the environment of medical operation. The 27 cases of tendon graft that were operated for 11 years from June, 1973 to June, 1984 in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hanyang University College of Medicine have been followed up for clinical study. The results were as follows: 1. The Material of this study was composed of 13 males (21 cases) and 5 females (6 cases) whose age were from 8 to 39 years old. 2. The injured fingers were classified with 3 thumbs, 6 index fingers, 7 middle fingers, 8 ring fingers and and 3 little fingers out of 27 cases and all injured parts of fingers were Zone II except that of thumb which was Zone IV of Bunnel. 6 patients were injured more than 2 fingers. 3. The duration from tendon injury to tendon graft which scattered from 1 month to 9 years and averaged out to 28.2 months is supposed to have little relation to post-operative results. 4. The post-operative results showed up 9 excellent, 7 good and 1 fair out of 17 cases in good gmup, 3 good and 6 fair out of 9 cases in cicatrix group, 1 fair out of 1 case in nerve damage group at pre-operative state. 5. The post-operative results of thumb which show up 2 excellent, 1 good out of 3 cases were most successful among those of all fingers. 6. The pre-operative state is supposed to have great relation to post-operative state judging from 94% satisfactory results of good group at pre-operative state. 7. As multiple injury makes little difference from single injury, the injured state of each hand is supposed to an important effect on post-operative results. 8. As all electric bumed injury show up fair except that of thumb, they are supposed to have unsatisfactory results.