34. EVALUATION OF SURGICAL OUTCOMES OF FLEXOR TENDON REPAIR IN ZONE II OF THE HAND AT THE HOSPITAL FOR TRAUMATOLOGY AND ORTHOPAEDICS

Le Gia Anh Thy1, Le Minh Khoa1, Dinh Ngoc Minh1, Nguyen Viet Tan1, Le Hoang Khoi Nguyen1
1 Hospital for Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ho Chi Minh city

Main Article Content

Abstract

Background: Injuries resulting in flexor tendon lacerations in the upper limb are common. The flexor tendons in the hand are anatomically divided into 5 zones, each requiring different surgical approaches for tendon repair. Zone 2 injuries, in particular, pose challenges in repair techniques due to higher rates of tendon adhesion complications. Achieving secure tendon repair in Zone 2 to facilitate early active mobilization and minimize adhesion complications presents a treatment challenge.


Objective: The aim is to evaluate and compare the outcomes of surgical repair for Zone 2 flexor tendon injuries in the hand, as well as the re-rupture complication rates, between the two-strand core suture technique (Group A) combined with early passive motion exercises and the four-strand core suture technique (Group B) combined with early active motion exercises.


Materials and Methods: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted on 58 patients (comprising 88 fingers) with Zone 2 flexor tendon injuries who underwent primary tendon repair at the Hospital for Traumatology and Orthopedics in Ho Chi Minh City from January 2021 to June 2023. Group A consisted of 28 patients (45 fingers) with two-strand core sutures, while Group B consisted of 30 patients (43 fingers) with four-strand core sutures. Treatment outcomes were assessed based on grip strength, total active range of motion (TAM) of the fingers, surgical duration, and re-rupture rates. Results: Group B (four-strand core suture) demonstrated superior restoration of finger motion compared to Group A (two-strand core suture) with a significant difference (P = 0.038). There was no significant difference in grip strength between the two groups (P = 0.16). The re-rupture rate was 2.3% in Group B compared to 11,1% in Group A.


Conclusion: Four-strand core suture repair for Zone 2 flexor tendon injuries in the hand facilitates early active mobilization, resulting in significantly improved joint motion recovery compared to the two-strand technique. Additionally, the re-rupture rate is lower with the four-strand technique.

Article Details

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