Background: Extensor tendon injuries are common injuries to the hand. When poorly managed, these injuries can have significant long-term effects on a patient’s hand function. There are multiple described repair techniques to repair an injured extensor tendon. The aim of this study was to determine if there was a correlation between extensor tendon repair technique and subsequent re-rupture rate.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent extensor tendon repair at our institution, utilizing the electronic medical record database of patients with extensor tendon injuries from 2015 to 2024. Data were collected on patient demographics, injury mechanisms, tendon zone involvement, surgical techniques, suture materials, number of strands, post-operative complications (including re-rupture rates), range of motion (ROM), and rehabilitation protocols. Kruskal-Wallis tests were utilized for analysis.
Results: After exclusion criteria, 81 patients with 81 extensor tendon injuries were included in the final analysis. There was 1 (1.2%) re-rupture noted in the study group initially treated with a modified Kessler technique. A simple repair technique was used in 19 cases (23.5%), a Figure 8 repair technique was used in 19 cases (23.5%), a Modified Kessler repair technique was used in 9 cases (11.1%), a Running suture repair technique was used in 3 cases (3.7%), a Pennington suture repair technique was used in 3 cases (3.7%), and a combination suture repair technique was used in 28 cases (34.6%).
Conclusion: In conclusion, there is an overall low re-rupture rate of extensor tendons that undergo repair. Suture repair technique does not appear to influence the re-rupture rate of extensor tendon injuries. Hand surgeons can likely safely forgo technically complex suture techniques in lieu of more technically simpler suture repair techniques without increasing the risk of tendon re-rupture.
