TY - JOUR
T1 - Complications after flexor tendon repair
T2 - A systematic review and meta-analysis
AU - Dy, Christopher J.
AU - Hernandez-Soria, Alexia
AU - Ma, Yan
AU - Roberts, Timothy R.
AU - Daluiski, Aaron
PY - 2012/3
Y1 - 2012/3
N2 - Purpose: Although outcomes after flexor tendon repair have reportedly improved with modern treatment, complications are common. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of these complications and the potential contributory factors within the published literature. Methods: We performed a systematic review of the available literature to identify publications in which patients with flexor tendon ruptures were surgically treated. We extracted demographics, zone of injury, core suture technique (only modified Kessler or a combination of techniques), use of epitendinous suture, and date of publication (before or after January 1, 2000). We excluded articles if they did not report information on reoperation, rupture, or adhesions. We used unadjusted pooled meta-analysis to report the incidence of complications, and meta-regression to describe the potential contributory factors for each complication while controlling for age, gender, and zone of injury. Results: Unadjusted meta-analysis revealed rates of re-operation of 6%, rupture of 4%, and adhesions of 4%. Meta-regression analysis of 29 studies showed that core suture technique or use of an epitendinous suture does not influence rupture. However, the presence of an epitendinous suture decreases re-operation by 84%. Adhesion development is 57% lower when the modified Kessler technique is used. The incidence of complications did not vary with publication date. Conclusions: The published literature supports use of the modified Kessler repair technique with an epitendinous suture to minimize complications. Although complication rates are low, our data suggest that there has been no definitive improvement in reported complications before and after 2000.
AB - Purpose: Although outcomes after flexor tendon repair have reportedly improved with modern treatment, complications are common. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of these complications and the potential contributory factors within the published literature. Methods: We performed a systematic review of the available literature to identify publications in which patients with flexor tendon ruptures were surgically treated. We extracted demographics, zone of injury, core suture technique (only modified Kessler or a combination of techniques), use of epitendinous suture, and date of publication (before or after January 1, 2000). We excluded articles if they did not report information on reoperation, rupture, or adhesions. We used unadjusted pooled meta-analysis to report the incidence of complications, and meta-regression to describe the potential contributory factors for each complication while controlling for age, gender, and zone of injury. Results: Unadjusted meta-analysis revealed rates of re-operation of 6%, rupture of 4%, and adhesions of 4%. Meta-regression analysis of 29 studies showed that core suture technique or use of an epitendinous suture does not influence rupture. However, the presence of an epitendinous suture decreases re-operation by 84%. Adhesion development is 57% lower when the modified Kessler technique is used. The incidence of complications did not vary with publication date. Conclusions: The published literature supports use of the modified Kessler repair technique with an epitendinous suture to minimize complications. Although complication rates are low, our data suggest that there has been no definitive improvement in reported complications before and after 2000.
KW - Complications
KW - epidemiology
KW - flexor tendon
KW - meta-analysis
KW - outcomes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84862805569&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jhsa.2011.11.006
DO - 10.1016/j.jhsa.2011.11.006
M3 - Article
C2 - 22317947
AN - SCOPUS:84862805569
SN - 0363-5023
VL - 37
SP - 543-551.e1
JO - Journal of Hand Surgery
JF - Journal of Hand Surgery
IS - 3
ER -