Purpose: The purpose of the study was to compare clinical outcomes between patients who underwent endoscope-assisted flexor tendon repair and those who underwent conventional surgery.
Methods: Patients were divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (endoscope-assisted surgery) included 21 patients (27 fingers) and group 2 (conventional surgery) included 19 patients (25 fingers). Outcomes assessed included the mean total active motion, Strickland classification, prevalence of rerupture, tenolysis requirement, and infection rate.
Results: The mean total active motion was 152.3° in group 1 and 134.7° in group 2, which was significantly higher in group 1 compared to group 2. An excellent or good outcome was achieved in 25 (92.5%) of the fingers in group 1 as opposed to 17 (68%) fingers in group 2.
Conclusions: We conclude that endoscope-assisted surgery is an alternative method for tendon surgery, enables a minimally invasive approach, and provides a favorable range of motion.
Type of study/level of evidence: Therapeutic IV.
Keywords: Adhesion; atraumatic tendon repair; endoscope; flexor tendon rupture; retracted tendon.
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