An experimental study on incompletely cut chicken tendons--a comparison of two methods of management.

One hundred and twenty tendons in the chicken were partially cut to a different extent either transversely or obliquely. In half of the tendons, the cuts were sutured and then immobilised for three weeks, while in the other half, they were left unsutured and started on free movement on the third day. From the gross examination and histological studies, the results were significantly better in the sutured and immobilised group. The results became significantly worse when the cut was more than 50%, and there was no difference between an oblique or a transverse cut.