Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma, Mesenchymal Stromal Cells, and Hyaluronic Acid in Preventing Adhesions After Zone II Flexor Tendon Repair: A Narrative Review.

Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Zone II flexor tendon injuries remain among the most challenging conditions in hand surgery due to the region's complex anatomy and high rates of postoperative complications, particularly adhesion formation and the resulting loss of range of motion. Although platelet-rich plasma (PRP), mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) therapies, and hyaluronic acid (HA) have demonstrated therapeutic potential in other musculoskeletal conditions, their effectiveness in preventing postoperative adhesions following zone II flexor tendon repair, specifically, remains unclear. A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted using PubMed and Google Scholar to identify randomized controlled trials, prospective and retrospective cohort studies, and original research evaluating the use of PRP, MSCs, or HA in zone II flexor tendon repair. Only full-length English-language studies specifically addressing zone II injuries were included. Studies were excluded if they did not focus explicitly on zone II flexor tendon injuries, lacked clearly reported outcomes, or failed to assess postoperative adhesion formation and functional recovery. Search terms included but were not limited to "Zone II flexor tendon," "PRP Zone II flexor tendon repair," "stem cell Zone II flexor tendon repair," "hyaluronic acid Zone II flexor tendon repair." Data from both human and animal studies were collected to compare postoper

Evidence level

Several human studies show positive signals, while research methods and sample sizes continue to develop.

Browse all related research

Filter the research library by this study's title keywords, author, or publication year.