Delayed functional rescue of section of the flexor tendons of the last four (4) fingers at a gold miner in a Sahelian hospital in Niamey (Niger)

Introduction: Secondary reconstructions of flexor tendon section have become rare nowadays. We report the result of delayed functional rescue of a traumatic section of the hand flexor tendons in a young adult. Clinical case: This is a 20-year-old patient, admitted for inability to flex the last 4 fingers of the right hand. The interrogation revealed a history of open trauma to the hand from a stab dating back 3 months following a fight. The physical examination found a transverse scar located on the palmar aspect of the right hand measuring 6 cm in zone three (3) of Verdan. Exploration in the operating room revealed a complete section of the superficial and deep flexor tendons of the last four (4) fingers. An end-to-end suture of the tendons was performed using Kessler stitches using Nylon thread 4.0. After one (1) year and eight (8) months of follow up, we found an excellent result according to the IFSSH (International Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand) classification with a score of 88/100. Conclusion: Secondary repair of late flexor tendon ruptures by end-to-end suture gives good results and remains an alternative when a tendon graft is impossible. Keywords: Secondary suture, Flexor tendons, Hand, Niger.