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Current practice patterns of flexor tendon rehabilitation
1Department of Industry and Manufacturing Engineering, College of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, USA. Davegroth@mindspring.com
Summary
Therapists widely use Kleinert and Duran regimens for finger flexor tendon repair rehabilitation. However, current practices in initiating active motion and other key elements often differ from published literature guidelines.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Physical Therapy
- Hand Surgery
Background:
- Rehabilitation following finger flexor tendon repair is complex due to numerous published postoperative regimens.
- Optimal therapeutic approaches for intrasynovial flexor tendon repairs remain challenging to define.
Purpose of the Study:
- To survey current and historical practice patterns of therapists managing intrasynovial flexor tendon repairs.
- To identify key elements of rehabilitation protocols and compare them with existing literature.
Main Methods:
- A survey was distributed to 191 therapists involved in finger flexor tendon repair rehabilitation.
- Key elements assessed included suture type, therapy initiation, visit frequency, active motion timing, splinting, resistance, and outcomes.
Main Results:
- Kleinert-type and Duran-type rehabilitation regimens are commonly employed.
- Active finger flexion is initiated at an average of 18.6 days postoperatively.
- Approximately 30% of therapists initiate early active flexion within the first postoperative week, diverging from some literature recommendations.
Conclusions:
- Current rehabilitation practices for finger flexor tendon repairs show significant variation.
- Therapists' approaches to initiating key rehabilitation elements may not consistently align with established scientific literature findings.