Pitfalls and complications of flexor tendon surgery

In both new and old tendon injuries, errors and hidden dangers exist that may lead to later complications. These arise at all four phases of primary repair or secondary reconstruction, namely preoperative assessment, exposure and evaluation, repair or reconstruction, and, finally, postoperative care. Often, the resulting complications are the same following tendon suture or tendon graft, the most common being adhesion with joint contracture. The list of complications also includes rupture, bowstringing, skin necrosis, infection, recurvatum, the lumbrical plus finger, and the quadriga syndrome.