Review of Flexor Tendon Rehabilitation Protocols Following Zone II Repair

摘要

Flexor tendon rehabilitation following zone II flexor tendon injury and repair represents one of the most challenging problems in hand surgery. Striking a balance between mobilization to prevent stiffness and protecting the integrity of the repair to allow healing is the goal of each rehabilitation protocol. The most common protocols include Kleinert, Duran, and early active mobilization. Boundaries to identifying the ideal protocol include the high variability of surgical technique, and variation of the interpretation of each protocol. Tendon repair ruptures have decreased over time and interest in early active motion protocols is increasing. Because of the lack of standardization, critical evaluation of the literature is challenging. There is evidence early active motion protocols lead to better functional outcomes as compared to passive protocols. Multicenter randomized trials utilizing a standardized surgical technique and protocols are needed to identify the optimal protocol.