[Experimental studies of flexor tendon repair in "no man's land"]

The FDP of the middle toes of 51 chickens were divided and repaired. All of the chickens were divided into three groups, each had a procedure of protected passive mobilization beginning at 1, 5, 21 postoperative days respectively. Through studies by micrography, light-microscopy, transmission and scanning electronmicroscopy, we found that passive motion beginning at 1 day and 5 days after operation has similar effects on the healing tendons by preventing adhesions, stimulating proliferation of epitenon and remoulding tendon callus. On the basis of the above results, another 32 chickens were used for the following experiments: The effects of early stage passive motion on the results of double tendon repair and free tendon graft in the "No Man's Land". It was disclosed that passive motion can significantly prevent the adhesions between FDS and FDP, but this was less effective on adhesions between FDS nd sheath. For tendon graft, the results of the mobilized side were extraordinarily good, and the free tendon itself had taken part in the healing process.