Single Finger Research Articles

A soft pneumatic dexterous gripper with convertible grasping modes

This paper proposes a novel soft pneumatic dexterous gripper that consists of four soft fingers and a movable sucker. Compared with rigid dexterous hands and other soft grippers, the soft pneumatic dexterous gripper has four convertible grasping modes, which can grasp a wide range of objects due to the proposed conversion mechanism. Most parts of the dexterous gripper are 3D-printed with resin in order to make it lighter. The soft finger is made of silicone rubber with the pleated channel, making the grasping process more flexible and safer. The curvature performance of single finger is predicted through finite element analysis (FEA) before making a prototype. The simplified kinematic model and tip workspace of the gripper are obtained to reveal its grasping range. Then, a mathematical model of the soft bending finger is proposed in order to explain the relationship between input air pressure and the finger bending angle. Finally, the single finger bending and the gripper grasping experiments results validate the accuracy of the model, consistency of finite element analysis, and rationality of the design.

Single finger movements in the aging hand: changes in finger independence, muscle activation patterns and tendon displacement in older adults.

With aging, hand mobility and manual dexterity decline, even under healthy circumstances. To assess how aging affects finger movement control, we compared elderly and young subjects with respect to (1) finger movement independence, (2) neural control of extrinsic finger muscles and (3) finger tendon displacements during single finger flexion. In twelve healthy older (age 68-84) and nine young (age 22-29) subjects, finger kinematics were measured to assess finger movement enslaving and the range of independent finger movement. Muscle activation was assessed using a multi-channel electrode grid placed over the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and the extensor digitorum (ED). FDS tendon displacements of the index, middle and ring fingers were measured using ultrasound. In older subjects compared to the younger subjects, we found: (1) increased enslaving of the middle finger during index finger flexion (young: 25.6 ± 12.4%, elderly: 47.0 ± 25.1%; p = 0.018), (2) a lower range of independent movement of the index finger (youngmiddle = 74.0%, elderlymiddle: 45.9%; p < 0.001), (3) a more evenly distributed muscle activation pattern over the finger-specific FDS and ED muscle regions and (4) a lower slope at the beginning of the finger movement to tendon displacement relationship, presenting a distinct period with little to no tendon displacement. Our study indicates that primarily the movement independence of the index finger is affected by aging. This can partly be attributed to a muscle activation pattern that is more evenly distributed over the finger-specific FDS and ED muscle regions in the elderly.

Laboratory Investigation of Liquid Injectivity in Surfactant-Alternating-Gas Foam Enhanced Oil Recovery

Surfactant-alternating-gas (SAG) is a favored method of foam injection, in part because of excellent gas injectivity. However, liquid injectivity is usually very poor in SAG. We report a core-flood study of liquid injectivity under conditions like those near an injection well in SAG application in the field, i.e., after a prolonged period of gas injection following foam. We inject foam [gas (nitrogen) and surfactant solution] into a 17-cm-long Berea core at temperature of 90 °C with 40 bar back pressure. Pressure differences are measured and supplemented with CT scans to relate water saturation to mobilities. Liquid injectivity directly following foam is very poor. During prolonged gas injection following foam, a collapsed-foam region forms near the inlet and slowly propagates downstream, in which water saturation is reduced. This decline in liquid saturation reflects in part liquid evaporation, also pressure-driven flow and capillary effects on the core scale. In the collapsed-foam region, liquid mobility during subsequent liquid injection is much greater than downstream, and liquid sweeps the entire core cross section rather than a single finger. Mobility in the region of liquid fingering is insensitive to the quality of foam injected before gas and the duration of the period of gas injection. This implies that at the start of liquid injection in a SAG process in the field, there is a small region very near the well, crucial to injectivity, substantially different from that further out, and not described by current foam models. The results can guide the development of a model for liquid injectivity based on radial propagation of the various banks seen in the experiments.

Study on development of a single joint robot finger system for palpation of prostate

Study on development of a single joint robot finger system for palpation of prostate

"Pars Pro Toto" and Personhood in Roman Cremation Ritual: New Bioarchaeological Evidence for the Rite of "Os Resectum"

Os resectum, or ‘cut bone,’ is an obscure Roman funerary rite known primarily from literary sources. To date, archaeological examples have been recovered from Rome, Ostia, Herculaneum, and Pithekoussai, but none have been positively identified in the western provinces of the Roman Empire. This paper presents bioarchaeological evidence concerning an unusual pattern of preservation for the bones of a single finger in a burial from a late second to mid-third century A.D. cemetery in the Roman colony of Lincoln, England. It explores the implications of this evidence for the identification and performance of os resectum, and for understanding rites of passage surrounding Roman death. As well as revealing the value of integrating scientific and theoretical perspectives in the investigation of questions surrounding ritual behavior, it is argued that os resectum provides evidence to support the presence of a widespread concept of somatic partibility at the heart of Roman forms of personhood.

Flexible grippers for industrial robots – comparison of features of low-cost 3D printed component

The aim of presented work was to analyse the feasibility of using 3D-print technology in robotics based on the production of industrial robot flexible grippers. For selected geometry of gripper single finger available 3D printing techniques has been analysed. The study made by authors uses the following additive technologies and devices: SLS (Selective laser Sintering) and FDM (Fused deposition modelling). As a prior an analyses of capabilities of individual technologies were done by testing the quality of the 3D CAD model recreated on test print-outs. Based on the printed gripper, its functionality, and strength properties were examined. Strength of grapplers was tested with a use of an MTS test machine under repeating deflexion simulating standard operational cycle of a gripper. Test proved that at least few thousands of cycle are possible to be made by a 3D printed gripper. What interesting gripper made with use of the less advanced printer showed different wear behaviour than an one made on the more advanced. First one showed almost instantaneous start of slow and constant strength degradation while the second one proved to have a stable deflexional capability by almost twice an number of cycles. More isotropic structure of an SLS printed gripper caused the best results of all tested ones.

Two level reverse cross finger flaps to cover soft tissue defects of a finger using a single donor finger

Two level reverse cross finger flaps to cover soft tissue defects of a finger using a single donor finger

Ipsilateral finger representations in the sensorimotor cortex are driven by active movement processes, not passive sensory input.

Hand and finger movements are mostly controlled through crossed corticospinal projections from the contralateral hemisphere. During unimanual movements, activity in the contralateral hemisphere is increased while the ipsilateral hemisphere is suppressed below resting baseline. Despite this suppression, unimanual movements can be decoded from ipsilateral activity alone. This indicates that ipsilateral activity patterns represent parameters of ongoing movement, but the origin and functional relevance of these representations is unclear. In this study, we asked whether ipsilateral representations are caused by active movement or whether they are driven by sensory input. Participants alternated between performing single finger presses and having fingers passively stimulated while we recorded brain activity using high-field (7T) functional imaging. We contrasted active and passive finger representations in sensorimotor areas of ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres. Finger representations in the contralateral hemisphere were equally strong under passive and active conditions, highlighting the importance of sensory information in feedback control. In contrast, ipsilateral finger representations in the sensorimotor cortex were stronger during active presses. Furthermore, the spatial distribution of finger representations differed between hemispheres: the contralateral hemisphere showed the strongest finger representations in Brodmann areas 3a and 3b, whereas the ipsilateral hemisphere exhibited stronger representations in premotor and parietal areas. Altogether, our results suggest that finger representations in the two hemispheres have different origins: contralateral representations are driven by both active movement and sensory stimulation, whereas ipsilateral representations are mainly engaged during active movement. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Movements of the human body are mostly controlled by contralateral cortical regions. The function of ipsilateral activity during movements remains elusive. Using high-field neuroimaging, we investigated how human contralateral and ipsilateral hemispheres represent active and passive finger presses. We found that representations in contralateral sensorimotor cortex are equally strong during both conditions. Ipsilateral representations were mostly present during active movement, suggesting that sensorimotor areas do not receive direct sensory input from the ipsilateral hand.

Seroprevalence of Asymptomatic Leishmania donovani among Laborers and Associated Risk Factors in Agricultural Camps of West Armachiho District, Northwest Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Background Visceral leishmaniasis (VL, also called kala-azar) is a public health problem in Ethiopia, especially in sesame and sorghum growing areas. Compared to other populations, labor migrants are the most exposed. Knowing the seroprevalence of Leishmania donovani and associated risk factors is essential to design appropriate control measures. The main aim of this study was to assess the seroprevalence of asymptomatic L. donovani among laborers and associated risk factors in agricultural camps of West Armachiho district, Northwest Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was conducted to know the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of L. donovani infection. Method A cross-sectional study was conducted among 185 laborers from October to December 2017. A simple random sampling technique was used to select study participants from selected agricultural camps. After obtaining written informed consent, data were collected using a structured pretested Amharic version questionnaire using the interview technique. A single finger prick blood sample was collected from the study participants and the blood samples were subjected to the serological diagnostic method using the rk39 kit. The multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors associated with L. donovani infection. Result Among 185 participants examined using rk39, 14 (7.6%) were seroreactive for L. donovani. Leishmania donovani infection had a statistically significant association with sleeping under Balanites trees (AOR: 4.36, 95%CI: 1.186-16.06), presence of domestic animals near sleeping place (AOR: 4.68, 95% CI: 1.25-17.56), and lack of knowledge about VL transmission (AOR: 3.79, 95% CI: 1.07-13.47). Conclusion Seroprevalence of asymptomatic L. donovani among laborers in agricultural camps of West Armachiho was low. Prevention measures and health education about risk factors that expose to L. donovani infection for the laborers are essential to prevent the spread of the disease.

Improved force JND in immersive virtual reality needle insertion simulation

Haptic feedback in immersive virtual reality (IVR) systems is critical to enable a more intuitive and natural way of interacting with virtual objects. IVR-based haptic medical simulations such as needle insertion procedures have the potential to enhance clinicians’ haptic expertise. This work is a preliminary study on the use and implementation of IVR for needle simulators. Although few studies have quantified haptic skills such as force Just Noticeable Difference (JND) with the single finger, none have measured the force JND as recommended in the standard needle insertion protocol in an IVR environment. The hypothesis of this study is that there will be an improvement of force perception in the IVR, compared to that of the non-immersive virtual reality (NIVR) which facilitates the use of IVR for medical simulations. This paper emphasized on two objectives: firstly, the development of the observer state model for both the IVR and NIVR and the theoretical analysis of the psychophysical measures in both of the environments. Secondly, measures of force JND with the three fingers and comparison of these measures in NIVR to that of the IVR using psychophysical study with the force matching task, constant stimuli method, and isometric force probing stimuli to validate the model. Twenty voluntary subjects performed the experiment in both of the environments. Mean force JND and standard deviation of the JND were found to be 9.12% and 3.75% in the NIVR and 5.91% and 3.65% in the IVR (p value < 0.0001) which are in the same range of JNDs found in the literature (5–10%) for the NIVR using a single finger. Surprisingly, the results showed a better force JND in the IVR compared to that of the NIVR. Also, a simple state observer model was proposed to explain the improvement of force JND in the IVR. This study would quantitatively reinforce the use of IVR for the design of various medical simulators.

Stability of representational geometry across a wide range of fMRI activity levels

Fine-grained activity patterns, as measured with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), are thought to reflect underlying neural representations. Multivariate analysis techniques, such as representational similarity analysis (RSA), can be used to test models of brain representation by quantifying the representational geometry (the collection of pair-wise dissimilarities between activity patterns). One important caveat, however, is that non-linearities in the coupling between neural activity and the fMRI signal may lead to significant distortions in the representational geometry estimated from fMRI activity patterns. Here we tested the stability of representational dissimilarity measures in primary sensory-motor (S1 and M1) and early visual regions (V1/V2) across a large range of activation levels. Participants were visually cued with different letters to perform single finger presses with one of the 5 fingers at a rate of 0.3–2.6 Hz. For each stimulation frequency, we quantified the difference between the 5 activity patterns in M1, S1, and V1/V2. We found that the representational geometry remained relatively stable, even though the average activity increased over a large dynamic range. These results indicate that the representational geometry of fMRI activity patterns can be reliably assessed, largely independent of the average activity in the region. This has important methodological implications for RSA and other multivariate analysis approaches that use the representational geometry to make inferences about brain representations.

Manual Dexterity and Aging: A Pilot Study Disentangling Sensorimotor From Cognitive Decline.

Manual dexterity measures can be useful for early detection of age-related functional decline and for prediction of cognitive decline. However, what aspects of sensorimotor function to assess remains unclear. Manual dexterity markers should be able to separate impairments related to cognitive decline from those related to healthy aging. In this pilot study, we aimed to compare manual dexterity components in patients diagnosed with cognitive decline (mean age: 84 years, N = 11) and in age comparable cognitively intact elderly subjects (mean age: 78 years, N = 11). In order to separate impairments due to healthy aging from deficits due to cognitive decline we also included two groups of healthy young adults (mean age: 26 years, N = 10) and middle-aged adults (mean age: 41 years, N = 8). A comprehensive quantitative evaluation of manual dexterity was performed using three tasks: (i) visuomotor force tracking, (ii) isochronous single finger tapping with auditory cues, and (iii) visuomotor multi-finger tapping. Results showed a highly significant increase in force tracking error with increasing age. Subjects with cognitive decline had increased finger tapping variability and reduced ability to select the correct tapping fingers in the multi-finger tapping task compared to cognitively intact elderly subjects. Cognitively intact elderly subjects and those with cognitive decline had prolonged force release and reduced independence of finger movements compared to young adults and middle-aged adults. The findings suggest two different patterns of impaired manual dexterity: one related to cognitive decline and another related to healthy aging. Manual dexterity tasks requiring updating of performance, in accordance with (temporal or spatial) task rules maintained in short-term memory, are particularly affected in cognitive decline. Conversely, tasks requiring online matching of motor output to sensory cues were affected by age, not by cognitive status. Remarkably, no motor impairments were detected in patients with cognitive decline using clinical scales of hand function. The findings may have consequences for the development of manual dexterity markers of cognitive decline.

Viscous fingering and its effect on areal sweep efficiency during waterflooding: an experimental study

Viscous fingering is one of the main challenges that could reduce areal sweep efficiency during waterflooding in oil reservoirs. A series of waterflooding experiments were carried out in a Hele-Shaw cell at ambient temperature during which areal sweep efficiency was estimated and techniques to ease the fingering problem were examined. The onset and propagation of viscous fingers were monitored as a function of both injection rate and injection/production positions. Image processing techniques were utilized to quantitatively investigate the propagation of fingers. The experimental results show that, under specific conditions, increasing the number of finger branches could improve the areal sweep efficiency, whereas growth of a single narrow finger has a negative impact on oil displacement efficiency. According to the obtained results, increasing the injection rate improves the areal sweep efficiency up to a critical rate at which viscous fingers start to grow. The impact of heterogeneity of the medium on distributing the viscous fingers was also investigated by introducing two different arrangements of fractures in the model. The results show that fractures perpendicular to the direction of flow would distribute the displacing water more uniformly, while fractures in the direction of flow would amplify the unfavorable sweep efficiency.

A SINGULAR CLUBBED DIGIT INDICATING SARCOIDOSIS

SESSION TITLE: Signs and Symptoms of Chest Disease SESSION TYPE: Fellow Case Report Posters PRESENTED ON: 10/09/2018 01:15 PM - 02:15 PM INTRODUCTION: First described by Hippocrates, digital clubbing is a classic physical exam finding associated primarily with pulmonary disease. Clubbing also has well established associations with suppurative lung infection, bronchogenic carcinoma, bronchiectasis, pleural tumors, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, cirrhosis, endocarditis, and cyanotic heart disease among others.[1-3] However, isolated clubbing of a solitary digit most often is related to a neoplastic condition such as osteoid osteoma or enchondroma. We report the rare case of a patient presenting with classic findings of sarcoidosis whose heralding symptom was isolated digital clubbing of a single finger. CASE PRESENTATION: A 47 year-old man was referred to our clinic with worsening dyspnea on exertion, fatigue and intermittent dry cough. His vital signs were normal: temperature 36.4°c, respirations 14/min, pulse 66/min, blood pressure 131/82 mmHg and SpO2 97% on room air. His examination was unremarkable apart from prominent digital clubbing of a solitary finger; all other fingers and toes were normal (Fig 1). He was a nonsmoker without history of prior hand injury. There was no family history of rheumatologic or pulmonary disease. Hand x-ray (Fig. 2) revealed moth-eaten appearance with acroosteolysis of the distal phalanx, but no other regions of boney destruction. Chest x-ray (Fig 3) showed bilateral bulky hilar lymphadenopathy along with reticular and nodular opacities within the lungs. Bone biopsy from the distal phalanx (Fig. 4) demonstrated non-caseating granulomatous inflammation, but no malignancy. Acid-fast, fungal, and bacterial cultures of the biopsy were all sterile. DISCUSSION: Less frequently, sarcoidosis has also been associated with digital clubbing, but described cases have been bilateral and typically with involvement of all fingers.[4] Our presented case is unique in that a single finger was clubbed with complete sparing of all other fingers and toes. Typically, the differential diagnosis for a single clubbed finger includes osteoid osteoma, enchondroma, myxochondroma, digital mucoid cyst or glomus tumor. Less frequently, chondrosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, and subungual squamous cell carcinoma have also been described arising from the distal phalanx. Accordingly, cases of isolated single digit clubbing should undergo biopsy because of their malignant potential. CONCLUSIONS: Our case highlights a unique presentation of sarcoidosis with osseous involvement causing a single Hippocratic finger. Digital clubbing found in any patient may herald a variety of significant underlying medical conditions and should prompt further evaluation. Reference #1: 1. Martinez-Lavin, M, Exploring the cause of the most ancient clinical sign of medicine: finger clubbing. Semin Arthritis Rheum, 2007. 36(6): p. 380-5.2. Rutherford, JD, Digital clubbing. Circulation, 2013. 127(19): p. 1997-9. Reference #2: 3. Spicknall, K.E., Zirwas MJ, and English JC. Clubbing: an update on diagnosis, differential diagnosis, pathophysiology, and clinical relevance. J Am Acad Dermatol, 2005. 52(6): p. 1020-8. Reference #3: 4. Yancey J, Luxford W, and Sharma OP, Clubbing of the fingers in sarcoidosis. JAMA, 1972. 222(5): p. 582. DISCLOSURES: No relevant relationships by Kevin Davidson, source=Web Response No relevant relationships by Andrew Levy, source=Web Response

Outcomes After Revision Amputation or Replantation in FRANCHISE (Finger Replantation and Amputation Callenges in Assessing Impairment, Satisfaction, and Effectiveness) Study

Outcomes After Revision Amputation or Replantation in FRANCHISE (Finger Replantation and Amputation Callenges in Assessing Impairment, Satisfaction, and Effectiveness) Study

Effects of ultrathin abdomen flap on repairing deep electric burn wounds in finger of pediatric patients

Objective: To investigate the effects of ultrathin abdomen flap in repairing deep electric burn wounds in finger of pediatric patients. Methods: A total of 14 pediatric patients with simple electric burns in finger were admitted to our unit from March 2013 to October 2017. Six patients had electric burns in one finger, 5 patients had electric burns in two fingers, and 3 patients had electric burns in three fingers. The size of wounds in single finger ranged from 2.0 cm×1.0 cm to 3.5 cm×2.0 cm. After complete preoperative examination, wounds debridement and ultrathin abdomen flap repair operation were performed on 3 to 6 days post injury. Six pediatric patients were treated with abdominal random flap, 4 patients were treated with inferior epigastric artery paraumbilical perforator bilobed flap, and the other 4 patients were treated with superficial circumflex iliac artery bilobed flap. The size of flaps ranged from 4.0 cm×2.0 cm to 8.0 cm×4.0 cm. The donor sites were sutured directly. Results: The flaps of 14 pediatric patients survived well after operation, and no flap showed blood supplying disorder. During follow-up of 3 to 24 months, the appearance and function of fingers were good, and the donor sites recovered well, with no cicatrix contracture deformity. Conclusions: The ultrathin abdomen flap is one of the good choices for repairing deep electric burn wounds in finger of pediatric patients.

Residue coevolution reveals functionally important intramolecular interactions in formamidopyrimidine-DNA glycosylase

In protein evolution, functionally important intramolecular interactions, such as polar bridges or hydrophobic interfaces, tend to be conserved. We have analyzed coevolution of physicochemical properties in pairs of amino acid residues in the formamidopyrimidine–DNA glycosylase (Fpg) protein family, identified three conserved polar bridges (Arg54–Glu131, Gln234–Arg244, and Tyr170–Ser208 in the E. coli protein) located in known functional regions of the protein, and analyzed their roles by site-directed mutagenesis. The structure and molecular dynamic modeling showed that the coevolving pairs do not form isolated bridges but rather participate in tight local clusters of hydrogen bonds. The Arg54–Glu131 bridge, connecting the N- and C-terminal domains, was important for DNA binding, as its abolishment or even ion pair reversal inactivated Fpg and greatly decreased the enzyme’s affinity for DNA. Mutations of the Gln234–Arg244 bridge, located at the base of the single Fpg β-hairpin zinc finger, did not affect the activity but sharply decreased the melting temperature of the protein, with the bridge reversal partially restoring the thermal stability. Finally, Tyr170 mutation to Phe decreased Fpg binding but did not fully inactivate the protein, whereas Ser208 replacement with Ala had no effect; molecular dynamics showed that in both wild-type and S208 A Fpg, Tyr170 quickly re-orients to form an alternative set of hydrogen bonds. Thus, the coevolution analysis approach, combined with biochemical and computational studies, provides a powerful tool for understanding intramolecular interactions important for the function of DNA repair enzymes.

Outcomes and indications for early hand therapy after multiple concomitant elective hand procedures

Study DesignRetrospective comparative study. IntroductionTrigger finger and carpal tunnel surgery are common, but not without complications including pain and edema, which are treated with hand therapy (HT). There are limited data for the outcomes of multiple trigger finger releases (MTFRs) or combined trigger finger and carpal tunnel surgery and the subsequent need for HT. Purpose of the StudyBased on our hypothesis that patients with more than 1 procedure may benefit from an early HT visit, we performed this study to compare the frequency of HT orders after single trigger finger releases (STFRs) and MTFRs and determine the reasoning for variation in the rate of HT orders after releases. MethodsSubjects receiving either an STFR or an MTFR were identified. Patient-reported outcomes were recorded preoperatively and 2 weeks postoperatively. ResultsOne hundred fifty-nine eligible subjects were identified; 33 MTFRs and 126 STFRs. MTFR subjects were prescribed postoperation HT at a higher rate compared with STFR subjects (66.7% vs 34.1%; P < .001). Of the HT subjects, MTFR subjects received prescriptions for edema management at a significantly higher rate compared with STFR subjects (P = .02). DiscussionPatients with soft tissue dissection, edema, and stiffness would most likely benefit from HT services. It is important to identify these at-risk subpopulations to potentially alter their postoperative trajectories and improve outcomes. ConclusionsHigher rates of referral to HT occur when there are multiple concomitant hand procedures. This suggests surgeons triage HT services based on need. Policies that disallow postoperative therapy will have a greater impact on patients with these indications.

Tactile Masking by Electrovibration.

Future touch screen applications will include multiple tactile stimuli displayed simultaneously or consecutively to single finger or multiple fingers. These applications should be designed by considering human tactile masking mechanism since it is known that presenting one stimulus may interfere with the perception of the other. In this study, we investigate the effect of masking on the tactile perception of electrovibration displayed on touch screens. Through conducting psychophysical experiments with nine participants, we measured the masked thresholds of sinusoidal electrovibration bursts (125 Hz) under two masking conditions: simultaneous and pedestal. The masking signals were noise bursts, applied at five different sensation levels varying from 2 to 22 dB SL, also presented by electrovibration. For each participant, the thresholds were elevated as linear functions of masking levels for both masking types. We observed that the masking effectiveness was larger with pedestal masking than simultaneous masking. Moreover, in order to investigate the effect of tactile masking on our haptic perception of edge sharpness, we compared the perceived sharpness of edges separating two textured regions displayed with and without various types of masking stimuli. Our results suggest that sharpness perception depends on the local contrast between background and foreground stimuli, which varies as a function of masking amplitude and activation levels of frequency-dependent psychophysical channels.

Results of 4-strand modified Kessler core suture and epitendinous interlocking suture followed by modified Kleinert protocol for flexor tendon repairs in Zone 2

ObjectiveThere has been no consensus in literature for the ideal flexor tendon repair technique. The results of zone 2 flexor tendon lacerations repaired primarily by 4 strand Modified Kessler core suture and epitendinous interlocking suture technique followed by Modified Kleinert protocol were investigated. Methods128 fingers of 89 patients who had flexor tendon laceration in zone 2 built the working group. Functional outcomes were evaluated using the Strickland formula. A statistical analysis was made between Strickland scores and some parameters such as age, gender, follow-up time, co-existing injury existence, repair time, single or multiple finger injury, tendon rupture and the effect of FDS injury and repair. ResultsExcellent, good, fair, poor results were obtained from 71 (55.5%), 46 (35.9%), 8 (6.3%), 3 (2.3%) fingers, respectively. Time of the repair has a significant effect on the strickland scores. Surgery performed within the first 24 hours following the injury gave better results. 3 fingers (2.3%) had tendon ruptures. Existence of ruptures affected the results significantly. Co-existing injuries were found that they did not have any effect on the results. In the fingers in which both FDP and FDS tendons were lacerated, no significant relationship was found between only FDP repair, both FDP and FDS repair and single FDS slip repair. Additionally no significant relationships between follow-up time, gender, single or multiple finger injury and Strickland scores were observed. 13 fingers (10.1%) had PIP joint contracture above 20°. ConclusionThe low rupture rate (2.3%) and 91.4% ‘good’ and ‘excellent’ scoring rates in our series support the idea that modified Kessler 4-strand core suture and epitendinous interlocking suture repair combined with modified Kleinert protocol gives satisfactory results. Repair time is one of the most important factors affecting the functional results and surgery should not be delayed if there is an experienced surgeon available. Level of evidenceLevel IV, therapeutic study.