Nutrition of flexor tendons in monkeys.

The hydrogen washout technique was used to investigate the role of synovial diffusion versus vascular perfusion in the nutrition of monkey flexor tendons within the digital sheath. There was no significant difference in the uptake and washout of hydrogen tracer by tendons in contact with synovium but detached from the surrounding vasculature, compared to control tendons. However, there was insignificant uptake of tracer by tendons with intact vasculature, but separated from synovium. Synovial diffusion is a primary nutrient pathway of monkey flexor tendons within the digital sheath.