Tendon Transfers eMedicine Orthopedics

Description: At the end of the 19th century, physicians first realized that transferring tendons could restore function to an extremity. The crippling results of the polio epidemic in Europe contributed to the advancement of tendon transfers. In addition, as anesthesia and aseptic techniques developed, the skills and technical acumen of surgeons improved. With the contributions from such masters as Drs. Leo Mayer,1 Sterling Bunnell,2 Guy Pulvertaft,3 and Joseph Boyes,4 tendon transfer surgery expanded not only to those with polio and cerebral palsy, but also to those who required reconstructive surgery for traumatic injuries that were incurred during World War I. The fundamentals of tendon transfer surgery were discovered, and the field of reconstructive tendon surgery was established.
Synonyms and related keywords: reconstructive tendon surgery, tendon transfer surgery, claw hand, ulnar nerve paralysis, carpal tunnel syndrome, radial nerve palsy, tendon transplant, tendon transplantation, opponensplasty, adductorplasty, abductorplasty, Camitz procedure, Huber procedure, Littler method, Royle-Thompson procedure, Zancolli lasso procedure, Boyes transfer, Pulvertaft weave
Zeineh & Wilhelmi 2008