• Güzin Yeşim Ozgenel and Abdullah Etöz.
• Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey. gozgenel@yahoo.com
• Ulus Travma Acil Cer. 2012 Jan 1;18(1):11-7.

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of three injections of hyaluronic acid (HA) versus placebo (saline) over a two-week period on functional outcomes after zone-II flexor tendon repairs.MethodsTwenty-two patients with isolated zone-II flexor tendon injury of the index fingers were included in this study. Before tenorrhaphy, fingers were randomly divided into two groups; 11 were treated with three injections of HA around the tenorrhaphy site and 11 served as a placebo group and were treated with saline in the same way. The first dose was given at the time of tenorrhaphy and two additional doses were given at one-week intervals. A Kleinert rehabilitation protocol was employed postoperatively. Range of motion was assessed with total active and passive movement evaluation systems at 3 weeks, 3 months and long-term. Functional outcome was evaluated using the Strickland classification.ResultsThere were no differences between the two groups in terms of range of motion at 3 weeks. However, at 3 months and long-term, a significant improvement was observed in fingers treated with HA compared to placebo.ConclusionThis preliminary placebo-controlled study suggests that repetitive injections of HA can improve clinical outcomes presumably due to the effect on decreasing adhesions in primary tendon repairs.

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