Clinical Research Directory

Comparing Two Skin Incisions for Flexor Tendon Repair

Flexor tendons injuries in the fingers are common and often require surgery. During surgery, the surgeon needs to make an incision in the skin on the inside of the finger to access the damaged tendon. A comparison will be done between two types of skin incisions in the fingers: * Bruner zig-zag incision * modified Bruner midlateral zig-zag incision Research questions: * Is there a difference in pain between the types of incisions? * Is there a difference in swelling between the types of incisions? * Does the type of incision affect the final result in term of motion? Patients who will undergo surgery for a flexor tendon injury in a finger will be asked to participate and be randomized to one type of skin incision. All other parts of the surgery will be carried out as usual. An occupational therapist and nurse will measure swelling and motion. The participant will report pain on a daily basis. The results for pain, swelling, motion in the fingers and sensibility in the fingers will be statistically compared between the two types of incisions on a group level. The results of this study may lead to guidelines for skin incisions in acute flexor tendon repair, allowing patients to experience less pain and swelling. This may facilitate the rehabilitation program and improve the final functional outcome.