Jersey Finger: Tendon Repair With Anchors

Jersey Finger: Tendon Repair With Anchors

This surgical video demonstrates a repair of a jersey finger injury with bone anchors and sutures. Here we see a left hand. On the middle finger, the surgeon has used a skin marker to draw a zigzag line for the incision, known as a Bruner incision. This technique helps avoid nerves and blood vessels and can decrease scar tissue formation.

The surgeon makes the incision and then carefully opens the skin. The surgeon identifies the torn tendon. Next, the surgeon uses a drill and a small metal pin to prepare holes for the bone anchors. The first anchor is placed and screwed into one hole. This anchor already has sutures attached to it. The surgeon inserts the second anchor in the same way.

Next, the surgeon uses a curved needle to pass the sutures through the tendon and tie knots to secure the tendon back to the bone. The surgeon tests the repair by pulling on the sutures. The surgeon will close the incision with sutures, and the procedure is complete.