Tendon healing may originate from the vascularized epitenon of the tendon stumps. 2. This is dependent upon the gap between the tendon stumps being rather small. 3. In tendon sutures after Kessler the gap averaged only 2.5 mm, whereas the average after Bunnell suture was 6.7 mm and after Lengemann suture, 9.8 mm. 4. After isolated division of the deep flexor tendon (80% of cases) and division of both flexor tendons (65%), good results with a distance = 2.5 cm between the nail and the distal palmar crease could be obtained.