A novel technique for harvesting tendon grafts: Cheap, simple, and reliable

Tendon grafts often need to be harvested for tendon repair in complex hand surgeries. A tendon stripper is an instrument designed for tendon harvesting. In this study, a metal aspiration cannula was used like a stripper, in a simple and reliable way. With this technique, palmaris longus, plantaris and partial flexor carpi ulnaris tendon grafts were harvested from 11 patients. No problems were encountered in terms of graft quality, donor site or damage to adjacent anatomic structures. The quality of the harvested tendons was quite good, without any damage to the paratenon. Scars at the donor sites ranged between 1-2cm, and they all recovered quite well aesthetically. While tendon repair does not require very specific surgical tools, a tendon stripper and endoscopy tools with are needed for harvesting tendon grafts. This is problematic in small, poorly equipped hospitals, where tendon surgery is performed with simple tools. This study demonstrates that tendon grafts can be harvested with a metal aspiration cannula, thus making it easier to perform tendon repair without specific surgical tools.