Post-operative results of looped nylon suture used in injuries of the digital flexor tendons

tendon injury on the day of injury to a maximum of 486 days after injury during the past eight years from 1974. In the treatment a 4-0 or 5-0 looped nylon suture was used. Follow-up study was made on 121 patients involving 164 digits in whom at least six months had elapsed since the operation. The evaluation showed the results in 53.0 % excellent, 15.3 ~ good, 18.9070 fair and 12.8070 poor. Discussion is made of a number of factors which have effects upon the results of treatment of flexor tendon injury of the hand. The history of challenges to improve the therapeutic results of flexor tendon injury is long and countless achievements have been made, among which those that warrant special mention are Lindsay (1960) and Tokita (1974) who verified the intrinsic healing potential. This theory later gained great support and revolutionized the concept owards ~ treatment of tendon injury (Furlow, 1976; Kessler, 1969; Kleinert, 1967 and Umeda, 1976). Also it was experimentally demonstrated that the sutur