Abstract
Purpose: To determine whether the tendon harvester can influence harvested tendon characteristics and soft tissue disruption
Summary: We compared two harvesters with regards to the length of tendon obtained and soft tissue disruption during hamstring tendon harvesting. Thirty six semitendinosus and gracilis tendons were harvested using either a closed stripper or a blade harvester in 18 paired knees from 9 human fresh cadavers. Use of the blade harvester gave longer lengths of usable tendon (p=0.002), whilst minimising the stripping of muscle (p=0.013).
Conclusion: Our results suggest that the type of harvester per se can influence the length of tendon harvested as well as soft tissue disruption. Requesting such data from the industry prior to deciding which harvester to use seems desirable.
Correspondence should be addressed to: BASK c/o BOA, at the Royal College of Surgeons, 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, WC2A 3PE, England.
