We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Procedures

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What is a Tendon Graft?

By F. Ruiz
Updated: Mar 03, 2024
Views: 19,662
Share

A tendon graft is a piece of tendon taken from a donor site and then used to reconstruct a damaged tendon. When tendons undergo severe damage, such as complete tearing, tendon grafts are often the only way to heal them. Less serious tendon injuries, on the other hand, can frequently be addressed with non-surgical approaches such as prolonged rest, immobilization, and anti-inflammatory medication.

Tendons are strong yet flexible fibrous tissue bands that attach muscles to bones. Ligaments are closely-related structures connecting bones to other bones. Due to the anatomical similarities between tendons and ligaments, tendon grafting is not only used to repair tendons; it is also employed to repair some damaged ligaments.

Perhaps the most common use of tendon grafts is in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The ACL is the main supporting ligament of the knee, and it is one of the most frequently injured ligaments in sports. In ACL reconstruction, tendon grafts are generally taken from either patellar tendons or hamstring tendons. Both of these tendons are good candidates for ACL reconstruction because of their width and length. Normally, a tendon graft should come from a tendon with similar shape and size to the tendon undergoing reconstruction.

Some instances of tendon replacement require a two-stage repair process. This approach employs temporary prosthetic grafts that are left in place for up to several months. The temporary grafts give the body time to prepare a healthy environment for the final tendon graft. Surgeons consider two-stage repair based on the specific circumstances of an injury. For example, if a patient has damaged flexor tendons in his or her hands and a lot of time has passed since the initial injury, then a two-stage process may be indicated.

Tissue for a tendon graft can be harvested from one of two main sources: autogenous tissue or donor tissue. Autogenous tissue refers to tissue taken from somewhere in the patient’s own body. Donor tissue for grafts comes most frequently from a deceased person who made his or her tissues available for medical purposes. Medical grafts consisting of autogenous tissue are known as autografts, while those consisting of donor tissue are known as allografts.

Typically, the first choice for a tendon graft will be an autograft. The reason that autografts are usually preferred is that allografts can bring additional risks. These risks include transmission of diseases from donor to patient and a potential immune rejection response. While allograft preparations, such as freezing to eliminate rejection-causing fibroblasts, greatly decrease these risks, the preparations themselves also have drawbacks. One drawback is that the preparations can cause tendon allografts to be weaker than autografts.

Despite their disadvantages, allografts are still suggested in many situations. If a patient has multiple injuries, then there may not be enough available tendons in his or her own body to address each one. Additionally, an autogenous tendon graft might be impossible if a patient has already had one or more prior tendon replacements. In the face of severe tendon injuries, whether or not to employ a tendon graft depends on the extent of the damage. Subsequent decisions about where to harvest the graft from are generally made jointly by doctors and patients after thorough discussion.

Share
The Health Board is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.thehealthboard.com/what-is-a-tendon-graft.htm
Copy this link
The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

The Health Board, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.