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Evaluation of the role of unconjugated hyaluronic acid repetitive injection during the primary repair of flexor tendons in no man’s land: a randomized control trial

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European Journal of Plastic Surgery Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Zone 2 flexor tendon injuries are prone to poor results following repair due to adhesions. Different repair methods and physiotherapy protocols have been devised to improve outcomes, with variable results. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a polysaccharide produced by the innermost layer of the tendon sheath that facilitates gliding in zones where the sheath is continuous.

Methods

Sixty-two flexor tendons that were repaired using a double-stranded core suture were divided between groups A (n = 32) and B (n = 30). In the former, non-cross-linked HA was repeatedly instilled at the repair site, with a total of three injections per digit. The repair outcomes were assessed using the Strickland criteria, the ratio of total active motion to total passive motion (TAM/TPM), and active range of motion (AROM) for individual joints.

Results

A total of 31.1% of group A patients had excellent to good outcomes in contrast to 13.3% in group B. The mean difference in TAM was 105° in group A and 71° in group B (p value ˂ 0.05). The mean TAM/TPM was 0.65 in group A and 0.56 in group B (p value = 0.06).

Conclusions

HA significantly improves the results of flexor tendon repair in zone 2.

Level of Evidence: I.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt

    Omar Mohamed Nouh, Ahmed Safwat Salem, Youssif Ahmed Khachaba, Tarek Seif Eldin Ashour & Khaled Makeen ElRefaei

Authors
  1. Omar Mohamed Nouh
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  2. Ahmed Safwat Salem
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  3. Youssif Ahmed Khachaba
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  4. Tarek Seif Eldin Ashour
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  5. Khaled Makeen ElRefaei
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ahmed Safwat Salem.

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Conflict interest

Omar Mohamed Nouh, Ahmed Safwat Salem, Youssif Ahmed Khachaba, Tarek Seif Eldin Ashour, and Khaled Makeen ElRefaei declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical committee approval

Plastic surgery department, Cairo University, ethical committee approval was obtained prior to the study.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all patients enrolled in the study. The study included four minors in whom informed consent was acquired from their legal guardians. The consent included details of the preoperative measures, the operative procedure, and the postoperative treatment, including the physiotherapy program and potential complications. Patients or their legal guardians (in four cases) approved enrolment in the study and publication.

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The authors did not receive any funding for the completion of this work.

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Study venue

Plastic Surgery Department, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Egypt

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Nouh, O.M., Salem, A.S., Khachaba, Y.A. et al. Evaluation of the role of unconjugated hyaluronic acid repetitive injection during the primary repair of flexor tendons in no man’s land: a randomized control trial. Eur J Plast Surg 42, 463–472 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-019-01517-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00238-019-01517-x

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