Percutaneous needle tenotomy for the treatment of muscle and tendon contractures in adults with brain damage: results and complications

Flavia Coroian, Claire Jourdan, Jérome Froger, Claire Anquetil, Olivier Choquet, Bertand Coulet, Isabelle Laffont, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Available online 18 December 2016, ISSN 0003-9993, doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2016.11.014.

In our series, percutaneous needle tenotomy procedures under local or locoregional anesthesia were performed by a PM&R physician trained by an orthopedic surgeon and yielded very few complications. This technique seems relevant for contractures of several superficial tendons for the upper and lower limb alike. Furthermore, this technique gives a satisfactory orthopedic outcome fulfilling non-functional objectives (hygiene, pain, nursing) and even functional ones for a small number of well-selected patients (gait, grip, daily life).
PNT yields good results in the management of superficial muscle and tendon contractures in selected brain-damaged patients. The complications rate is very low and this treatment can be an alternative to conventional surgery in frail neurological patients.