Central Tendon Tenotomy for Management of Extrinsic Extensor Tightness of the Hand

Abstract

Case: We present a 67-year-old woman with long finger extrinsic extensor tightness and a 56-year-old man with limited index finger flexion due to extrinsic extensor tightness secondary to tendon transfers for radial nerve palsy. Both patients underwent prior surgical procedures that led to limited range of motion (ROM). Subsequently, they elected for central tendon tenotomy (CTT), which demonstrated postoperative ROM improvement and satisfactory patient outcomes. Conclusion: Surgical management of extrinsic extensor tendon tightness of the hand is generally addressed by performing tenolysis to improve tendon excursion. We present a novel and simple technique of CTT with pertinent anatomy, descriptive cases, and a cadaveric video.