Wrist Tendon Transfer Surgery

Through an open incision, a tendon from another part of the forearm or hand, one whose function can be spared without significant loss elsewhere, is rerouted to take over the role of the damaged tendon. The procedure typically takes one to two hours and is usually day surgery.

Assessment includes examination of which movements are lost and which nearby tendons are suitable donors for transfer, based on the underlying cause of the tendon damage. Standard preoperative steps apply, including fasting and arranging transport home.

A splint holds the wrist and hand in a protected position while the transferred tendon heals into its new position, generally for several weeks. Hand therapy is central to recovery, teaching the transferred tendon and surrounding muscles to work together in their new roles. Full recovery generally takes several months.

Rehabilitation is a structured, hand therapist-led process, since a transferred tendon needs to be retrained to perform its new function through targeted exercises. Progress depends on consistent therapy attendance and practice, alongside protecting the transfer during early healing.

Risks include infection, and, specific to tendon transfer, the transferred tendon failing to adapt fully to its new role, resulting in incomplete restoration of movement. There may also be some weakness in the original function of the donor tendon, though this is generally well tolerated.

The aim is to restore a specific lost movement, such as wrist or finger extension, by repurposing a working tendon. Most patients experience meaningful improvement in the targeted movement, with the transferred tendon gradually taking on its new role through structured therapy.

Wrist tendon transfer surgery replaces a damaged or non-functioning tendon with a working one from elsewhere in the arm, restoring lost hand or wrist function. Most patients experience meaningful improvement in the specific movement the transferred tendon was intended to restore.