Quantification of regional blood flow to canine flexor tendons.

Although the blood supply and the microcirculation of flexor tendons have been studied and defined extensively using qualitative methods, the quantitative assessment of blood flow has been lacking because of the limitations of the available experimental techniques. We studied the regional blood supply to the flexor tendons of dogs by the technique of radionuclide-labeled microspheres. Seven adult mongrel dogs were used. Microsphere injection and tissue-counting techniques previously used for other tissues were applied. Samples of proximal, isthmus, and distal portions of the profundus and superficialis flexor tendons were harvested from each digital unit of available limbs from each dog. Mean (+/- SE) flows (ml/100 g dry tissue/min) were proximal profundus 1.78 +/- 0.60 and superficialis 7.10 +/- 1.50. The differences were significant (p less than 0.01). The study suggests that regional variation in blood flow to canine digital flexor tendons exists, so that a single value for blood flow to these tendons is not relevant. Furthermore, the study supports the concept of dual (vascular and synovial) nutrition to the digital flexor tendons in dogs. These observations may have implications regarding tendon repair techniques.