BACKGROUND: Tendon injury is a common injury in the department of hand surgery. The postoperative recovery of hand function is always affected by tendon adhesion after tendon repair. To prevent tendon adhesion, especially the adhesion after flexor tendon repair is always the key in the rehabilitation of hand surgery.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the impact of decimeter wave therapy on tendon adhesion and healing after flexor tendon repair.DESIGN: Randomized controlled study based on experimental animal SETTING: Provincial Institute of Orthopaedics.MATERIALS: The study was conducted in Hebei Provincial Institute of Orthopaedics from January 2001 to June 2003. Totally 28 Leghorn chickens were randomly divided into decimeter wave therapy group and operation control group.METHODS: The flexor digitorum profundus tendons of Leghorn chickens were transected and repaired. Decimeter wave therapy was applied to the toes on chickens of decimeter wave therapy group. Animals were executed at week 3 or 6 after operation for macroscopical observation and histological observation under optical and electron microscopes, and biomechanical analysis.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Principle index: results of macroscopical observation and the observatory results under optical and electron microscope, and the results of biomechanics. Secondary index: results of the classification of tendon adhesion and healing.RESULTS: It could be seen under macroscopical and histological observation that the adhesion significantly reduced in decimeter wave therapy group. The protein synthesis of fibroblast was significantly more than that of the control group under electron microscope. As indicated by biomechanical analysis, the tendon gliding distance[ (5.37 ± 1.06) mm at week 3, (6.76 ± 1.52) mm at week 6]and the rehabilitative compliance( 1. 04 ± 0.65 at week 3)of decimeter wave therapy group were bigger than those of the control group respectively [ (4.43 ±1.03) mm, (5.33±1.27)mmand0.63±0.31](P ＜0.05), and the anti-tension strength of decimeter wave in therapy group (N, 26. 93 ± 4. 80,47. 12 ± 7.76) was significantly bigger than that of the control group respectively(21.29 ±4. 88 and 38.96 ±7.52) (P ＜0. 01).CONCLUSION: Decimeter wave therapy can effectively promote tendon healing and reduce tendon adhesions and provide prerequisites for early rehabilitative training after flexor tendon repair. Hence, it is an ideal assistance in the prevention of tendon adhesion.