Repair of mallet finger with extensor digitorum tendon defect in zone I by autologous flexor digitorum profundus tendon transposition

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of autologous flexor digitorum profundus tendon transposition for repair of mallet finger with extensor digitorum tendon defect in zone Ⅰ. Methods From September 2016 to September 2018, 30 patients with extensor digitorum tendon defect in zone Ⅰ were treated with autologous flexor digitorum profundus tendon transposition. The postoperative follow-up was performed. The function of the affected finger was evaluated by Dargan and Crawford functional assessment criteria. Results All the patients were follow-up for 6 to 12 months. The average operation time was (44.2±4.7) minutes. There was no incision infection after operation, and the wounds healed well. No complications such as joint stiffness, skin necrosis or finger deformity occurred. The function of affected fingers was evaluated according to Dargan functional assessment criteria as excellent in 12 cases, good in 14 cases, fair in 4 cases with the excellent and good rate being 86.7%; according to Crawford functional assessment criteria as excellent in 11 cases, good in 15 cases, fair in 4 cases with the excellent and good rate being 86.7%. Conclusion The application of autologous flexor digitorum profundus tendon transposition for repair of mallet finger with extensor digitorum tendon defect in zone Ⅰ can achieve good clinical efficacy. The operation is simple and easy to perform, and it is worthy of clinical promotion. Key words: Tendon injuries; Treatment outcome; Flexor digitorum profundus tendon; Mallet finger