Surgical Treatment for Tendon Rupture in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Recently, we have experienced thirteen cases of extensor tendon ruptures in rheumatoid hands.
All the patients, two men and eleven wemen, had classical rheumatoid arthritis with advanced Steinbrocker's stage. All the ruptured tendons were classified into four groups of extension disturbance: three cases of the first finger, three cases of the third, fourth, and fifth fingers, six cases of the fourth and fifth fingers, and one case of the third and fourth fingers. two cases were treated by end to end tendon suture and the others by transfer. In ten cases of all, synovectomy of the wrist and Darrach's procedure were carried out simmultaneously.
We observed from four months to eight years and obtained the following results: good in seven, satisfactory in two, poor in two cases except two cases, which were not followed up. We conclude that satisfactory results are obtained by means of tendon transfer combined with synovectomy and Darrach's procedure.