Tendon suture and tendon transplantation

If, after a tear to a tendon, the tendon ends are so far apart that they can no longer grow together naturally, a surgical operation is often the only thing that can help. If there is still enough healthy tissue available, the tendon can usually be sewn directly to one other (e.g. to the hamstring). These days, we have material available for this which the body automatically decomposes over time. In cases where the functionality of the tendon is no longer produced in this way, transplantation of the tendon is an option. In so doing, we take a section of a tendon from another area and bridge the defective area with it. In some cases, a tendon can be transferred to another place (tendon transposition) and there, takes on the function of the injured tendon, e.g. as in the case of extensor tendon injuries in the thumb. Regardless of the type of operation, subsequent immobilisation of the joint is necessary by means of a plaster cast or a special rail.