Doctors carry out tendon repair surgery to fix a tendon injury. Tendons are tough, stretchy tissues that join muscles to bone. Their job is to allow the body to move and to transfer weight. Tendons also aid protect joints from impairment.

There are two chief types of tendon:

  • Flexor tendons, which work by tightening to pull on the bones. An case of using a flexor tendon is when someone makes a fist.
  • Extensor tendons, which work by stretching when a role of the body needs to motility outward, such as when standing on the toes or straightening the fingers.

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A person may need surgery if they experience a deep cut or tear to one or more of their tendons.

People who may require tendon repair surgery include those with:

  • a deep cut that severs a tendon
  • an injury from contact sports
  • a tear or injury due to rheumatoid arthritis

If a person visits the doc with a tendon injury, a dr. volition comport out an initial concrete exam of the injured area.

They will check for:

  • foreign objects, if the injury is due to a cut
  • blood loss
  • signs of infection
  • other injuries, such as fractures, dislocations, nervus injuries, or injuries to the claret vessels

The doctor will also compare the injured role of the body to the non-injured side, checking for a deviation in the range of motion.

They volition also likely ask the person to try to move the damaged part of their body in different directions to get a more than accurate diagnosis of the injury.

Imaging tests, such every bit ultrasounds and MRIs, can as well help diagnose the precise cause and location of the tendon injury.

Tendon injuries often require surgical treatment. The aims of tendon repair surgery are:

  • to bring dorsum normal range of move and office to an injured tendon
  • to provide pain relief

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A physician volition provide anesthetic before surgery.

Before surgery for tendon repair, doctors will explain the procedure and provide anesthesia, which will prevent the person from feeling whatever pain.

There are three possible types of anesthetic a doctor may use:

  • General coldhearted: The person will be unconscious and unable to feel any pain.
  • Regional coldhearted: This coldhearted will numb a large area of the body around the affected area. The person will be awake during surgery but will not feel pain.
  • Local anesthetic: This anesthetic numbs only the area that needs surgery. The person will be awake during the procedure but will non feel any pain.

The type of anesthetic a person receives volition depend on:

  • their medical history
  • where the tendon is in the body
  • anything else the surgeon needs to exercise in improver to the tendon repair

The surgeon may want to see the person try to move their tendon as soon every bit possible after the surgery, or during, if they are awake, to ensure the procedure was successful.

The following steps occur during most tendon repair operations:

  • The surgeon will make at least 1 cut through the skin in the expanse above the injured tendon so they tin can meet it and look for injuries.
  • They will remove any damaged tendon tissue.
  • They will carefully stitch any torn ends of the tendon back together.
  • In one case this is complete, the surgeon will sew the cut skin dorsum together with medical stitches.
  • A md or nurse volition cover the wound and stitches with fresh medical dressings.
  • A splint or similar dressing can reduce tension while the tendon heals. If at that place is too much tension on the tendon, the repair will neglect and re-tear.

The tendon may exist likewise short for the surgeon to sew together it back together as information technology is. If this is the example, the surgeon will graft an extra piece of tendon betwixt the ends to make them meet.

The surgeon volition unremarkably accept the healthy tendon tissue for the graft from another office of the person'south body.

A person may require a tendon transfer. A tendon transfer involves a surgeon removing a tendon that is close to the severed tendon and sewing information technology into the place of the broken tendon to restore part.

Surgeons usually take tendons from areas where the torso has two tendons merely tin can manage with just one.

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Information technology is important to continue the affected surface area elevated for a few days after surgery.

In that location are iii stages to the timeline of tendon healing after surgery.

  1. Inflammation: For the first 3–5 days, the area may feel swollen while the body works to heal itself.
  2. Early repair: During the adjacent 3–six weeks, the range of motility will commencement to render, but the area may feel slightly stiff.
  3. Afterward repair: After 10–12 weeks, the swelling volition have gone down, and the tendon will be easier to move.

In almost cases, a person can go dwelling house shortly after having tendon repair surgery. The medical team will recommend some physical therapy or occupational therapy exercises to assist bring back the range of movement slowly and safely. A person should not begin doing the exercises until a doc says information technology is safe to do then.

It is essential to go on the area elevated to prevent pain and swelling for the beginning few days.

Common risks of tendon repair include:

  • joint stiffness and loss of motion
  • scar tissue
  • the tendon vehement again

Boosted medical conditions tin affect how successful tendon repair surgery is. These include:

  • diabetes
  • circulation problems
  • obesity
  • heart conditions
  • nerve conditions
  • drug and alcohol addiction
  • smoking

A doctor will ask a person about their full medical history before the surgery and discuss the possibility of any risks and complications.

Tendon injuries are relatively mutual and often require surgery to repair them. Tendon repair surgeries are commonly straightforward but come with some pocket-size risks.

Subsequently the surgery, a person should slowly regain their range of motion. In some cases, still, the tendon can tear again.