[Animal experiment study of healing of the sutured flexor tendon]

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether tendons contain intrinsic cells capable of repair. To accomplish this, rabbit flexor tendons were exposed microsurgically, cut through, resutured and transferred as free transplant into the knee-joint. Immobilisation of the knee-joint will cause progressive formation of adhesions permitting neovascularisation of the transplant. Both is not observed when sutured flexor tendons were put in a knee articulation with full range of joint motion. Transmission electron micrography revealed up to 8 weeks after implantation vital cells and incidences of collagen neosynthesis independently whether adhesions existed or not. Histologically intrinsic repair was confirmed in mobile transplants and mainly initiated by cells of the visceral synovial sheet which form an anatomic-surgical unity with the tendon. In conclusion the importance of the synovial fluid for the tendon nutrition is underlined by the fact that an intrinsic healing of flexor tendon is possible without formation of adhesions.