Date of Award

2019

Document Type

Capstone

Degree Name

Doctor of Occupational Therapy

Department

Occupational Therapy

First Advisor

Aaron Bonsall, PhD, OTR/L

Second Advisor

Rebecca Wolf, JD, MPH, OTR/L, Michael Gerg, DOT, OTR/L, CHT, CEES, CWCE

Abstract

A hand can be injured in many ways, but rehabilitation of a tendon laceration following a surgical repair can be one of the most challenging aspects of hand therapy. For example, rates of secondary repair due to complications, such as tendon rupture or tendon adhesion, have been reported to be as high as 17% (Dy et al., 2012). This can be especially problematic when considering the unique characteristics of the dynamics of thumb flexion when compared with that of the other digits. There are many different protocols for flexor tendon repairs, which can make it difficult for a therapist to know which one to choose to give their patient the best outcomes. To make things even more complicated, a relatively small amount of the literature regarding these protocols focuses on the Flexor Pollicis Longus (FPL) tendon.

Share

COinS