The flexor tendons run along the palm side of the hand and bend the fingers and thumb. A cut from a knife, glass, sheet metal or a saw can sever them. They can also tear off the bone when a finger is yanked while gripping, as when grabbing a jersey in football ("jersey finger"). A cut tendon pulls back into the finger or palm, and it becomes harder to repair as days pass, so a finger cut that changes how the finger moves should be checked promptly.
Warning signs
- You cannot bend the tip or the middle joint of a finger, or the tip of the thumb
- At rest, the finger sits straighter than the others
- A cut on the palm side of the finger or palm
- Numbness in the finger, which can mean a nerve was cut too
- A pale or cool fingertip, which can mean an artery was injured
Treatment
Each tendon is tested on exam. A cut flexor tendon is usually repaired in outpatient surgery under regional or local anesthesia. The tendon ends are retrieved and sewn together with a strong multi-strand repair, and any injured nerve or artery is repaired in the same operation under the microscope. A custom splint and a structured hand therapy program follow, with protected motion starting within the first days. Recovery typically takes several months.
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Questions patients ask
What is a flexor tendon injury?
The flexor tendons run along the palm side of the hand and bend the fingers and thumb. A cut from a knife, glass, sheet metal or a saw can sever them. They can also tear off the bone when a finger is yanked while gripping, as when grabbing a jersey in football ("jersey finger"). A cut tendon pulls back into the finger or palm, and it becomes harder to repair as days pass, so a finger cut that changes how the finger moves should be checked promptly.
What are the warning signs of a flexor tendon injury?
You cannot bend the tip or the middle joint of a finger, or the tip of the thumb. At rest, the finger sits straighter than the others. A cut on the palm side of the finger or palm. Numbness in the finger, which can mean a nerve was cut too. A pale or cool fingertip, which can mean an artery was injured.
How is a flexor tendon injury treated?
Each tendon is tested on exam. A cut flexor tendon is usually repaired in outpatient surgery under regional or local anesthesia. The tendon ends are retrieved and sewn together with a strong multi-strand repair, and any injured nerve or artery is repaired in the same operation under the microscope. A custom splint and a structured hand therapy program follow, with protected motion starting within the first days. Recovery typically takes several months.
Who treats a flexor tendon injury near Southlake and Dallas-Fort Worth?
Dr. Pedro Loredo, a board-certified hand surgeon (General Surgery, American Board of Surgery; Hand Surgery, American Board of Plastic Surgery) at Loredo Hand Care Institute, 431 E State Hwy 114, Suite 380, Southlake, TX. New patients are seen within days. Call (972) 939-4974. Se habla español.
En español: ¿Se cortó el dedo y ahora no lo puede doblar?
Los tendones flexores corren por el lado de la palma y doblan los dedos y el pulgar. Un corte con cuchillo, vidrio, lámina o sierra puede romperlos. También pueden arrancarse del hueso cuando el dedo es jalado con fuerza mientras agarra algo, como al sujetar la camiseta de otro jugador en el fútbol americano ("dedo en jersey" o jersey finger). El tendón cortado se retrae hacia el dedo o la palma y se vuelve más difícil de reparar con el paso de los días, por eso un corte que cambia cómo se mueve el dedo debe revisarse pronto.
Señales de alerta
- No puede doblar la punta o la articulación media de un dedo, o la punta del pulgar
- En reposo, el dedo queda más estirado que los demás
- Un corte del lado de la palma del dedo o en la palma
- Adormecimiento del dedo, que puede indicar que también se cortó un nervio
- La punta del dedo pálida o fría, que puede indicar una lesión de arteria
Tratamiento
En el examen se revisa cada tendón por separado. Un tendón flexor cortado normalmente se repara con cirugía ambulatoria, con anestesia regional o local. Se recuperan los extremos del tendón y se unen con una sutura fuerte de varios hilos, y si hay un nervio o una arteria lesionados se reparan en la misma operación bajo microscopio. Después se usa una férula a la medida y un programa de terapia de mano, con movimiento protegido desde los primeros días. La recuperación suele tomar varios meses.
If this sounds like your hand
Call Loredo Hand Care Institute or start your forms online. New patients are seen within days; surgery, when needed, is scheduled at the first available opening. Se habla español.