Diagnostic Utility of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound in Early Postoperative Evaluation of Posttraumatic Repaired Hand Tendons.

To evaluate the role of musculoskeletal ultrasound in the early postoperative period following hand tendon repair. By assessing its diagnostic accuracy and clinical utility, the study seeks to determine whether routine MSK-US surveillance can contribute to earlier detection of complications, guide timely management decisions, and ultimately improve functional outcomes in patients undergoing hand tendon surgery.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Hand Tendon Injury; Ultrasound Evaluation
• Intervention / Treatment: Device: MSK US

Detailed Description

Hand tendon injuries are among the most frequent traumatic lesions of the upper extremity, representing a major cause of emergency and elective surgeries. Despite advances in surgical techniques, these injuries remain challenging due to the risk of postoperative complications such as rupture, adhesions, infection, and impaired tendon gliding. Early recognition of such complications is essential to prevent long-term stiffness, disability, and functional loss .

Postoperative assessment traditionally relies on clinical examination, but this may be limited by pain, swelling, dressings, or poor patient compliance, and subtle complications may not be evident until significant dysfunction develops. Hence, there is a need for a reliable, non-invasive modality to aid early detection and guide timely intervention.

Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK-US) has become an important tool for evaluating tendon injuries. It offers high spatial resolution, dynamic real-time imaging, absence of ionizing radiation, cost-effectiveness, and broad availability. In postoperative settings, MSK-US provides valuable information on tendon continuity, vascularity, surrounding soft tissue changes, and the presence of adhesions or fluid collections. Its ability to assess tendon motion dynamically further enhances its role in monitoring functional recovery.

Evidence indicates that MSK-US can detect complications such as rerupture, adhesions, or infection earlier than clinical examination, supporting its role as an adjunctive modality in follow-up. However, standardized use of ultrasound in routine postoperative surveillance of repaired hand tendons has not yet been established.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 50

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Abdelazeem Salah Rajeh; Phone Number: +201006603514; Email: AbdElazeem.17289819@med.aun.edu.eg

Study Locations

• Egypt
  • Asyut, Egypt
    • Assiut University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Patients who undergone hand tendon repair after trauma

Description

Inclusion Criteria: adults with primary hand tendon repair and able to return for US follow-up.

-

Exclusion Criteria: Patients with collagen disease, congenital hand deformities, bone fractures, revision/staged repairs, active infection/poor wound access, or can't attend follow-up.

-

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Diagnostic accuracy of musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK-US) for detecting clinically significant postoperative complications	The accuracy of musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK-US) in identifying clinically significant postoperative complications following surgical repair of posttraumatic hand tendons. Complications include rerupture requiring reintervention, deep infection, symptomatic adhesion requiring surgical release, and large seroma or hematoma requiring drainage or evacuation. Diagnostic accuracy will be determined by comparing MSK-US findings to a composite clinical reference standard consisting of surgical findings, clinical assessment, and microbiological/imaging confirmation. Accuracy measures will include sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and likelihood ratios.	Up to 12 weeks after surgical repair

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Time from surgery to detection of postoperative complication by musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK-US) versus clinical assessment	Up to 12 weeks after surgical repair

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Assiut University
• Investigators: Study Director: Nagham Nabeel Omar, Assiut University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): November 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 16, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 16, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): November 20, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): November 20, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 16, 2025
• Last Verified: November 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: MSK-US repaired hand tendon

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No