title: Closed tendon sheath irrigation for pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis.
abstract: Twenty patients with pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis were treated by through-and-through saline irrigation using an indwelling catheter and small Penrose drain. The treatment lasted for 48 hours. All patients were discharged from the hospital within 4 days. Eighteen patients had regained complete active and passive motion by 1 week after operation. One patient had a slight residual flexor tendon adherence and one gained motion after operation. This technique provides rapid, complete return of function with minimal inconvenience to the patient.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006225:Hand / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D013710:Tendons; D013717:Tenosynovitis / Q000601:surgery*; D007507:Therapeutic Irrigation / Q000379:methods*