From the Archives—Commentary on “Digital Function Following Flexor Tendon Repair in Zone II: A Comparison of Immobilization and Controlled Passive Motion Techniques”
“Digital function following flexor tendon repair in zone II: A comparison of immobilization and controlled passive motion techniques” by Strickland and Glogovac, published in 1980, is a well-designed study examining the effects of postoperative therapy on acute zone II flexor tendon repair outcomes. Although the authors were not the first to study outcomes after flexor tendon repair, isolating the effects of therapy alone was difficult in prior studies because of multiple uncontrolled variables including length of immobilization, flexor tendon repair technique, suture material, and concomitant injuries.