Hand Tendon Injuries

Tendons connect your finger and thumb muscles to bone so they move when the muscle contracts. The muscles in your forearm also move your fingers and thumbs, via long tendons that pass through your wrist.

The tendons that straighten your fingers are called extensors and run along the top of your hand. The tendons that bend your fingers are called flexors and run on the palm side of your hand. They are all kept in place by tough bands of tissue called tendon sheaths.

Because the tendons of the hand are very near the surface of your skin, a cut can sever them. If tendons are sliced through and pull away from each other, they will cease to function and will not heal.

• Wrestling, rock climbing, and other activities that require a lot of arm strength can stretch and tear tendons
• Health conditions like rheumatoid arthritis can weaken tendons, making them more likely to tear
• Trauma at work or in auto accidents commonly cause damage to hand tendons

Damage to extensor tendons may exhibit particular symptoms.

• Drooping of the end-joint of your finger (mallet finger) occurs when the extensor tendon is cut or torn from the bone
• An affected finger that remains bent at the middle joint (boutonnière deformity)
• Pain and stiffness when trying to straighten your finger

Flexor tendon injuries can exhibit different symptoms.

• An inability to bend one or more joints of your finger
• Pain when bending your finger
• Tenderness on the palm side of your affected finger or thumb

Treatments for injuries to the tendons in the hand vary widely depending on the patient and nature of the injury.

A complete tear will usually lead to surgery, but the procedure will differ depending on whether there is a tear from the bone or whether the tendon is cut straight across.