Abstract: Ex-Vivo Biomechanical Study Comparing the Cross-Locked Cruciate Repair with a Continuous Suture Repair for Oblique Flexor Tendon Lacerations

INTRODUCTION: Flexor tendon injuries remain a contentious issue in hand surgery as reflected in the multitude of differing techniques. A significant proportion of tendon transections are oblique and they are typically managed in a similar fashion to straight transections, using a multi-strand technique. In our practice, we have observed that there is significant bunching at the repair sites when standard techniques are used to repair oblique lacerations, leading to impaired gliding through the intricate pulley system. We hypothesized that a simple running suture repair for oblique tendon transections would have a reduced cross-sectional area (CSA) at the repair site compared to a traditional repair yet would have a similar tensile strength.