Rehabilitation of Finger Flexor Tendon Injuries

Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Flexor Tendon Rupture

Treatments: Other: Relative Motion Flexion; Other: Manchester Short Splint

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05078476

2021-00929

Details and patient eligibility

About

The primary objective is to compare the two different rehabilitation protocols relative motion flexion and short splint regarding patients'satisfaction in patients with flexor tendon injuries in Zone I and II after 13 and 26 weeks post-surgery.

Enrollment: 30 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Informed consent as documented by signature
• ≥ 18 years old
• Understanding of the German language (written and oral)
• Single and multiple finger injuries
• Primary flexor tendon injuries in Zone I-V for the fingers and/ or thumb
• Treated by the hand surgery department at the Inselspital Bern
• Treated with at least a 4-strand core suture

Exclusion criteria

• < 18 years old
• Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems, diagnosed psychological disorders or dementia of the patients
• Replantation of the injured finger
• Fracture of the injured finger
• Primary tendon reconstructions

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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30 participants in 2 patient groups

Manchester Short Splint

Active Comparator group

Description:

Dorsal splint ending shortly behind the wrist. The splint will be worn for 6 weeks after surgery and the patient will perform active and passive exercises in the splint.

Treatment:

Other: Manchester Short Splint

Relative Motion Flexion

Experimental group

Description:

In the relative motion splint the injured finger is positioned in relative flexion in the MCP joint to the adjacent fingers. Additionally to the relative motion flexion splint a wrist orthosis is adapted. Passive and active exercises will be performed out of the splint.

Treatment:

Other: Relative Motion Flexion