Flexor Tendon Grafting Using a Plantaris Tendon with a Fragment of Attached Bone for Fixation to the Distal Phalanx: A Preliminary Cohort Study

PurposeSecure methods of graft attachment ensure safe early motion after flexor tendon grafting. This has been achieved at the proximal graft juncture using Pulvertaft’s technique. For secure distal attachment, we investigate the results of flexor tendon grafting using the plantaris tendon with a fragment of attached bone fixed with a screw to the distal phalanx.MethodsThirteen digits from 10 patients with longstanding flexor tendon injuries in zone II had surgical reconstruction. A plantaris tendon-bone graft was attached to the distal phalanx using a mini-screw. This was followed by immediate active motion. At 3 and 8 months after surgery, total active motion was calculated as the sum of the degrees of active flexion in the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints minus the sum of the degrees of extension deficits for each of these joints. The results of total active motion were compared to the normal contralateral digit.ResultsThree months after surgery, the mean rate of recovery, relative to the normal contralateral finger, was 74%, whereas 8 months after surgery, this value was 70%. This difference was statistically significant. There were no failures or poor results (ie, less than 50% recovery).ConclusionsThe tendon-bone plantaris graft employed here ensured immediate active motion and early use of the involved hand in daily activities.Type of study/level of evidenceTherapeutic IV.