Successful repair of lacerated tendons must restore continuity of the tendon and should yield a strong tenorrhaphy. Mechanical strength of repair should be adequate to early postoperative motion and mobility. The optimal repair technique must be
able to
withstand the rigors of early motion and also must not interfere with tendon healing.
The relative strength of three suture methods of lacerated tendon were measured by mechanical disruption in effort to determine the strength of technique.
Fifty-four calcaneal tendons of 27 the New Zealand white rabbit were transected at mid portion and repaired with the three suture techniques: group 1, Kessler suture, group 2, Pennington's modified-Kessler suture and group 3, augmented- Becker
suture
technique. Each group was composed of 18 calcaneal tendons. Nine rabbits were sacrified immediately after suture, nine in postoperative 2 weeks and nine in postoperative 4 weeks.
Six calcaneal tendons in each three experimental group were obtained immediately after suture, at postoperative 2 and 4weeks respectively.
Tensile strength, maximum strength and modulus of elasticity of all experimental specimens were measured with Instron-UTM-4-100(Toyo-Baldiwin, Japan).
The results were evaluated statistically to compare the strengh of the three suture technique at three different periods. The tensile strength was predominantly strongest in augmented-Becker method among the suture technique at immediate suture,
Postoperative 2 weeks and 4 weeks respectively.
The augmented Becker repair was strongest in maximum stress among Kessler and modified Kessler repair at immediate operation, postoperative 2 weeks and 4 weeks respectively.
The augmented Becker repair was highest in modulus of elasticity than Kessler method and modified-Kessler and method at immediate operation, postoperative 2 weeks and postoperative 4 weeks respectively. Tensile strength, maximum stress and
modulus
of
elasticity were gradully increased from immediate operation to postoperative 4 weeks but there were not statistically significance between experimental three suture methods at postoperative 4 weeks.
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