Gliding Resistance of the Flexor Pollicis Longus Tendon After Tendon Repair

Principal Investigator: Peter C. Amadio, M.D.
Project Coordinator: Chunfeng Zhao, M.D. — zhao.chunfeng@mayo.edu

Figure 1: Flexor pollicis longus tendon and the pulleys

Gliding ability is an important factor which influences the outcomes following flexor tendon repair. The flexor pollicis longus (FPL) tendon has a unique oblique pulley structure. In this study, we investigated the gliding resistance of the FPL tendon following laceration and repair and the effect of partial excision of the oblique pulley on the gliding resistance in 10 human cadaver hands. The results demonstrated that gliding resistance significantly increased following laceration and repair and then increased again with partial trimming of the oblique pulley. This result suggests that if the repair site of the FPL tendon goes under the pulley edge during thumb flexion, it might be better, if possible, to keep the pulley intact than to perform partial excision (Fig. 1).