A preliminary assessment of Na-hyaluronate injection into "no man's land" for primary flexor tendon repair.

A special fraction of Na-hyaluronate (Healon) was used for enhancement of repair of flexor tendon lacerations in "No Man's Land" to assess its role in preventing adhesion formation. The profundus tendons of the third and fourth fingers in owl monkeys were lacerated and repaired, and the superficialis tendons were resected. Prior to closure, saline solution or Healon paste was applied around the tendon. The fingers were immobilized for 4-5 weeks with the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP) at 90 degrees of flexion. Following immobilization, the range of motion of the PIP joint was tested in a standard fashion for a period of 3 months. The Healon paste did not interfere with the healing process of the tendon. The fingers treated with Healon showed a significantly less flexion deformity (p less than 0.01) than the saline controls. Healon paste may be a useful adjunct in tendon surgery.