Duration of Splinting after Repair of Extensor Tendons in the Hand.

After studying the effect of function on the strength of tendon repairs in dogs, Mason and Allen (1941) concluded that immobilisation was necessary for two or three weeks. This had been taught by Mayer (1938) and was followed by Koch (1943) and Bunnell (1948). Since then Miller (1942), Farquharson (1950), Rank and Wakefield (1953), Nemethi (1956), Kelly (1959), Flatt (1959), and Clarkson and Pelly (1962) have all advised a similar time for splintage after tendon repairs. On the other hand, Couch (1939), Romanis and Mitchiner (1948), Handfield-Jones (1949), Iselin (1955), Pulvertaft (1956) and Thatcher (1957) considered early mobilisation to be better. It has not always been made clear by these authors whether or not the recommended periods of immobilisation concerned extensor tendons specifically. This study was undertaken to show the results with different times of splintage after