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Bone suture anchors in hand surgery
H D Skoff1, A T Hecker, W C Hayes
1Department of Orthopaedic and Plastic Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Journal of Hand Surgery (Edinburgh, Scotland)
|April 1, 1995
Summary
Small bone suture anchors offer a reliable alternative for hand and wrist reconstructive surgery. These anchors demonstrate comparable strength to traditional methods with improved stiffness and surgical efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Biomedical Engineering
- Hand and Wrist Reconstruction
Background:
- Small bone suture anchors are emerging tools for hand and wrist reconstructive surgery.
- Evaluating their efficacy compared to established techniques is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the biomechanical properties and clinical outcomes of small bone suture anchors versus the Bunnell technique for flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendon reinsertion.
- To assess the feasibility and reliability of bone anchors in clinical hand and wrist repairs.
Main Methods:
- A paired cadaveric study (16 fingers) compared Acufex 2 mm anchors with the Bunnell technique for FDP reinsertion.
- Load-to-failure and stiffness were measured.
- A prospective clinical study enrolled 19 patients undergoing hand or wrist tendon/ligament repair with bone anchors.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in load-to-failure (approx. 40 Newtons) between anchors and the Bunnell technique.
- Bone anchor repairs exhibited significantly greater mean stiffness.
- Clinical follow-up (average 24 months) showed stable repairs, with anchors being simple to insert and reducing surgical time.
Conclusions:
- Small bone suture anchors provide reliable and biomechanically sound repairs for hand and wrist tendon and ligament injuries.
- They offer advantages in surgical efficiency and stiffness compared to the traditional Bunnell technique.
- Bone anchors represent a viable and effective option in reconstructive surgery of the hand and wrist.