This document discusses tendon transfer and physical therapy management. It outlines the principles of tendon transfer including using a donor tendon with sufficient strength and excursion. Indications for tendon transfer include muscle paralysis, imbalance, or rupture. Physical therapy involves protective, mobilization, and resistive phases to regain range of motion and strengthen transferred muscles. Examples provided include management of ulnar and radial nerve injuries through tendon transfers and postoperative rehabilitation.

1. TENDON TRANSFER AND PT
MANAGEMENT
- Y SAI SUDHA
SAMAJA

2. OUTLINE
• Tendon ,tendon transfer and graft.
• Principle of tendon transfer.
• Indication for tendon transfer.
• Tendon transfer for different condition with Pt management.

3. • Tendon-it’s the continuity of the muscle to have its actions at the site
especially at hand foot and digits.covered by thin synovial sheet that
provides smooth gliding of tendon.

4. • Tendon transfer –its an operation in which insertion of the tendon of
a functioning muscle is moved to a new site so muscle henceforth has
different actions.
Transfer operation is planned in such way that loss of the transferred
muscles original function does not cause problems.
• Tendon graft- if there isn't enough healthy tendon to reconnect.
tendon graft using a piece of tendon from another part of the body. Is
used for restoring function.

5. PRINCIPLE OF TENDON TRANSFER
• Donor tendon
Should be expandable.
Minimum muscle power of 4 or 5.
Preferably a synergist muscle.
Amplitude of excursion to match that of the recipient muscle.
• Recipient site
Rom of jt on which the transferred muscle is expected to work should
be good.
No scarring at the bed of the transferred tendon.

6. • Technical consideration
Transferred tendon should take a straight route.
It should be placed in subcutaneous space.
Fixation must be under adequate tension.
• Patient consideration
Age min of 5 yrs .
The disease should be non progressive.
Any infection to bone or jt to be controlled.
Good range of passive movt available at jt .

7. INDICATION
• Muscle paralysis –restore or improve active control of jt by utilizing a
healthy muscle to act in place of paralyzed muscle.
• Muscle imbalance-to restore the balance between opposite groups of
muscles in case of one is weaker than other.
• Rupture of tendon (suture is not possible).
• Some congenital abnormalities.
• To remove the deforming force.
• Condition like polio, cerebral palsy , rheumatic arthritis have following
deformity.

8. 1.Cerebral palsy –movt and posture disorder caused by non progressive lesion
of immature brain cells.
Tendon transfer surgery To correct deformity , balance muscle power and
stabilize uncontrolled jt Few deformities of
Upper limb
flexion deformities of wrist and fingers
Thumb in palm deformity
Pronation contracture of forearm
Lower limb
Knee flexion contracture
Patella alta
Claw toes and Talipes equinovarus.

9. 2.Poliomyelitis-viral infection of ant horn cells resulting to permanent or
temporary paralysis. Tendon transfer surgery to replace function of paralysis
muscle , remove deforming force improve stability , Few deformities of
Upper limb
Elbow flexion paralysis Wrist paralysis
Lower limb
Gluteal medial paralysis Quadriceps paralysis
First metatarsal drop
Talipus valgus - paralysis of tibialis anterior muscle
Talipus varus - paralysis of peroneal muscle
Talipus calcaneous – paralysis of gastrocnemius muscle.

10. 3.Multiple congenital contracture(arthtogryposis multiplex congentia)
Congenital condition which is non progressive
in which 2 upper limb and 6 lower limb deformities are encounterd
Elbow wrist-flexed attitudes
Shoulder –medial rotation
Hip-extension,abduction and external rotation
Knee- flexion contracture and fixed ext
Foot-planovalgus and equionovarus.

11. 4.Leprosy-chronic infectious disease effects the peripheral nerves.
Few deformities that can be corrected by surgery of tendon transfer are
Upper limb
Ulnar Claw hand –ulnar nerve injury at elbow
Total claw hand –ulnar nerve injury at elbow and median nerve injury at
wrist
Triple nerve palsy ulnar nerve injury at elbow, median nerve injury at
wrist, radial nerve injury at radial groove
Lower limb
Foot drop –lateral popliteal nerve injury
Contracture of tendo calcaneus.

12. Other indication can be
• The prognosis of the neurogenic recovery is poor after nerve repair.
• Muscle have been destroyed.
• Nerve graft have been required to restore nerve continuity and serve
nerve injury

13. Nerve injury and classification

14. PRE OPERATIVE GOALS FOR TENDON TRANSFER
• Achieving and maintain full passive and active range as possible .
• Maintain max strength of the donor muscle and antagonist muscle.
• Maintaining the soft tissue with no tightness , scar and adhesions.
• Complete evaluation of sensory and fuctional assessment.
• Educating patient.

15. POST OPERATIVE GOALS FOR TENDON TRANSFER
• Regaining jt mobility.
• Training of tendon to glide in new course.
• Activation of new muscle to achieve some function,which requires
development of new neural pathways.
• Children are usually manages with static protocols or longer
protective phase.

16. GENERAL PT MANAGEMENT
Protective phase
-after surgery lasts for 3-4 weeks.
-protective splinting, edema control and mobilize uninvolved jt.
Mobilization phase
-after adequate healing of tendon for its activation (after 3-5weeks).
-immobilize soft tissue.
-mobilize the tendon transfer.
-day time dynamic splint night time static splint.
-mobilize uninvolved jt to avoid jt stifness.

17. Intermediate phase
-post operatively 5-8 weeks.
-gradually increases the passive range of motion, limited functional
movements are permitted .
Resistive phase
- Begins at 8-12 weeks.
- Tendon jn are strong enough to withstand increasing resistance so
increasing the endurance and strength of transferred muscles.
- Work related tasks are begun.

18. ULNAR NERVE INJURY
• Spinal root – C8-T1(medial cord of brachial plexus )
Supplies flexor carpi ularis and medial half of flexor digitorum profundus
in the forearm.
In hand through superficial branch supplies palamis brevis and digital
branches to the volarside of the little finger and medial half of the ring
finger.The deep branch supplies hypothenar, the dorsal and palmar
introseei, two medial lumbricals and the adductor pollicis muscle of hand.
Causes of injury
1. Axilla – crutch pressure , aneurysm of weak axillary vessels
2. Arm - # shaft of humerus , penetration gun shot injury

19. 3.Elbow -# of lateral epicondyle, compression by he accessory muscle,
cubitus valgus deformity.
4.Forearm - both bone # ,gun shot wounds.
5.Wrist - # hook of the hamate , compression of ganglion , wrist injury.
6.Hand – blunt injury , penetrationg injury.
The above ulnar nerve injuries will lead to claw hand deformity , true type
or ulnar claw hand
• Deformity with hyperextension of
MCP JT and flexion of IP JT of the
fingers.
• Pinch and grasp is decreased.
• Roll up manevor lost.

20. Tendon transfer for ulnar nerve
Neighbouring healthy tendon is brought to replace the action of the lost
intrincic . Tendon chosen is passed through the lumbrical canal and
attached to the dorsal digital expansion which brings action of the lost
intrinsic.

21. PT MANAGEMENT FOR ULNAR NERVE PALSY
• Splint position –wrist at 45 degree ext , MCP jt at 70 degreeflexion jt full
ext , thumb free
Week 1-2 – check the splint and cast positioning, tension within to be
checked , active and passive rom ex within splint.
cryotherapy for swelling, pain control modalities (ultrasound,ift),
Scar tissue mobilization.
Week 3-4 –active rom ex without splint , avoid composite extension,
Hand and forearm to be maintained in splined position for month.

22. Week 5-6- no splint during ex wrsit ext , mcp flexion and ip ext.
At end gentle wrist flexion is started with mild resistance.
Week 6-12- resistive ex, gripping ex ( light initially to the power grip).

23. RADIAL NERVE INJURY
• Spinal root- C5-T1 (posterior cord of brachial plexus).
Supplies all the 3 heads of triceps, anconeus, brachialis, brachioradialis,
extensor carpi radialis longus brevis and supinator muscle.
Causes of injury
1. Axilla – crutch palsy , aneurysm of weak axillary vessels
2. Arm - # of proximal humerus , shoulder dislocation
3. Elbow -# of radius, monteggia #, posterior dislocation of elbow
4. Forearm- bothbone#, penetrating gunshot wounds
5. 5. In spiral groove – shaft #, Saturday night palsy , syringe palsy

24. 6.Bw spiral groove and lateral epicondyle- # shaft humerus, supracondylar
#, lateral epicondyle #, cubitus valgus.
High lesion- wrsit drop, thumb drop, finger drop, unable to extend elbow
Sensation along the posterior surface of arm and forearm is lost.
Low lesion –wrist thumb and finger extension
lost.
Loss of sensation over the first dorsal web space.

25. Tendon transfer for radial nerve
Active treatment – neighbouring tendons are intact and if all the criteria for
transfer of tendon are met then following transfers will happen
For wrist flexors- Flexor carpi radialis for the flexion
Pronation- pronator quadratus for pronation
Finger flexion- flexor digitorum superficialis is chosen.
High lesion
Elbow ext transfer of latissimus dorsi or pectoralis major to the triceps
muscle can be done.
Pt needs active ext to use crutches, gravity alone will help in passive ext of
elbow.

26. Low lesion- 2 types
Type 1
• For wrist ext- pronator teres transfer.
• For finger extenson- flexor carpi ulnaris is split into 4 slips and
transferred dorsally into 4 fingers.
• Thumb ext and abd- palmaris longus transfer.
Type 2 – wrist ext spares
• Finger ext- flexor carpi ulnaris transfers 4 slips.
• Thumb ext-palmaris longus transfer.
• Thumb abduction- pronator teres transfer.

27. • 0mers technique- splitting of FCU into 5 slips and transferring to all 5
fingers instead of 4.
• Boye’s technique- use of FDS instead of FCU to bring ext of 4 fingers.

28. PT MANAGEMENT FOR RADIAL NERVE PALSY
•Splint position – elbow a 90 degree, fore arm 30-90 degree pronated, wrist
30-45 degree ext, mcp jt 10-15 degree flexion.
pip jt free or 20-45 degree.Splint extends still
proximal pip, thumb is max ext and abd.
Week 1-2 – check the splint and cast positioning,
tension within to be checked , active and passive
rom ex within splint and uninvolved jt , scar
management , edema management.
cryotherapy for swelling,
pain control modalities (ultrasound,ift).

29. Week 3-4 –splint or fabricate splint may or may not include elbow acc to
condition
rom ex, scar management (scar tissue mobilization).
Week 5-6- muscle re-education by ex stimulation.
Week 7- dynamic flexion splinting if extensor tightness is present, rom ex.
Week 8-protective day time dynamic splinting , resistive ex passive wrist
flexion to gain max pronator teres strength.
Week 9-12- strengthening and resuming unrestricted activities.

30. MEDIAN NERVE INJURY
• Spinal root- originates from the lateral and medial cords of the
brachial plexus, and has contributions from ventral roots of C5-C7
(lateral cord) and C8 and T1 (medial cord). The median nerve is the
only nerve that passes through the carpal tunnel.
Injury at
Elbow- flexors and pronators are paralysed.
Wrist-Loss of skin sensation over thumb index finger and middle
finger and opposition and flexion of thumb is lost thenar muscle
paralysis.

31. Tendon transfer for median nerve palsy

32. PT MANAGEMENT FOR MEDIAN NERVE PALSY
• Splint position- wrist neutral, thumb held in opposition And
ext, ip in ext , fingers free to move.
Week 0-2- edema and scar management , checking for
splinting, check the tension of tendon, cryotherapy for swelling,
pain control modalities (ultrasound,ift), scar
tissue mobilization.
Week3-4- active rom ex of thumb in splint and other
uninvoved jt.

33. Week5-8- light gasp and prehension tasks , resistive ex
along with passive and active rom ex ,night time static splint.
Week8-12- PRE(imp to not to fatigue the transfer ) and resume
unrestricted activities.

34. FOOT DROP
• Scatic nerve Spinal root – L4-5, S1-3
Supplies the hams and adductor muscle.
• Through superficial branch it supplies peroneus longus and brevis muscle
• Deep branch supplies ant compartment of leg
causes of injury
1.At spine- spina bifida, tumors ,prolapse disk
2.Hip – dislocation, acetabulum #
3.Gluteal region- deep IM injection
4.At thigh- # femur shaft

35. 5.knee-dislocation,# lateral condyle tibia, lateral meniscal cyst and tumor,
direct injury.
Following the injury it could be complete ( sciatic nerve and popliteal nerve
injury ) or incomplete (superficial and deep peroneal nerve).
High lesion complete foot drop.
Low lesion
Type 1- pt cannot dorsiflex and invert the foot
Sensation over dorsal web lost.
Type 2- cannot evert
Sensation lost over outer leg and foot.

36. PT MANAGEMENT FOR FOOTDROP
Splinting- ankle in neutral.
Week 1-2- splinting,edema and scar management, elevated position of limb,
cryotherapy for swelling, pain control modalities (ultrasound,ift),ex for
uninvoled jt.
Week 3-6 – rom ex (passive and active),soft tissue mobilization and scar
tissue mobilization.
Daytime dynamic splitting and night time static splinting.
Week 6-12- strenghthening ex, resistive ex, gait training, proprioceptive and
balance ex.

38. COMPLICATION AFTER SURGERY
• Scarring of tendon to surrounding structure.
• Difficulty in activating transfer.
• Transfer to loose or tight (wait 6 weeks before passive rom ex and
removing splint).
• Rupture of tendon repair.
• Overstretching of transferred tendon.

40. Reference
Essentials of orthopaedics –john Ebenezer.
Essentials orthopaedics and applied physiotherapy – jayath joshi.
Essential orthopaedics-maheswari and mahskar.
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