Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation 2005 , Vol 51 , Num 3

Clinical Characteristics of Patients with Tendon Injuries

Esra Dilek Keskin 1 ,Ümit Seçkin 2 ,Hatice Bodur 3 ,Asuman Sevil 4 ,Bülent Erdoğan 4 ,Mihriban Akyüz 1
1 Ankara Numune Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi 2. Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon Kliniği, Ankara
2 Ankara Numune Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, 2. Fiziksel Tıp ve Rehabilitasyon Kliniği, Ankara
3 Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey
4 Ankara Numune Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi 1. Plastik ve Rekonstrüktif Cerrahi Kliniği, Ankara

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the demographic, etiologic and clinical properties of patients with tendon injuries. 
 

Materials and Methods: The registered data of the 154 patients who had attended to Hand Unit of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic of Ankara Numune Hospital after tendon repairs were analyzed retrospectively. The patients were evaluated according to their demographical properties like age, sex, and occupation, injured hand, dominant hand, the cause of injury, zone of the injury, number of affected fingers, and accompanying injuries. 
 

Results: Fifty-seven percent of the patients were followed after extensor and, 43% were followed after flexor tendon repairs. Ninety- one percent of the tendon injuries were occurred in males and most frequently in the third decade. Eighty-five percent of the injuries were occupational and, dominant hand was involved in 54% of the patients. Nineteen percent of the patients had accompanying injuries and, 59% of them had nerve lesions. Zone V was the most affected site in the extensor and Zone II and V were the most affected sites in the flexor tendon injuries.
 

Conclusion: Tendon injuries commonly occur in male employees, results in disability and reduced work force. It is essential to prevent occupational injuries and to educate the employees in order to improve functional capacity and to reduce economic loss. 

Keywords : Tendon injury, hand