Allograft tendon for second-stage tendon reconstruction.

Tendons are made of compact dense collagen fibers with only sparse cellularity and naturally low immunogenicity. Allogenic tendons may be preserved through deep freezing methods and retain excellent mechanical properties after revitalization. Allogenic tendons were used in 22 patients (30 tendons) for second-stage tendon reconstruction in the hand. Preliminary results indicate no observable adverse tissue reactions, and functional recovery after tendon grafting does not seem different from reconstruction using tendon autografts. This type of allogenic graft does not seem to produce serious concern as a foreign tissue in the body, at least in the short term.