Tendon repair, hand
If any of the tendons in your hand are damaged, surgery may be needed to repair them and help restore movement in the affected fingers or thumb.
Tendons are tough cords of tissue that connect muscles to bones. When a group of muscles contract (tighten), the attached tendons will pull on certain bones, allowing you to make a wide range of movements.
There are two groups of tendons in the hand:
Surgery can often be carried out to repair damage to both these groups of tendons.
Hand tendon repair is carried out when one or more tendons in your hand rupture or are cut, leading to loss of normal hand movements.
If your extensor tendons are damaged, you'll be unable to straighten one or more fingers. If your flexor tendons are damaged, you'll be unable to bend one or more fingers. Tendon damage can also cause pain and inflammation (swelling) in your hand.
In some cases, damage to the extensor tendons can be treated without the need for surgery, using a rigid support called a splint thats worn around the hand.
Common causes of tendon injuries include:
Tendon repair may involve the surgeon making an incision in your wrist, hand or finger so they can locate the ends of the divided tendon and stitch them together.
Extensor tendons are easier to reach, so repairing them is relatively straightforward. Depending on the type of injury, it may be possible to repair extensor tendons in an accident and emergency (A&E) department using a local anaesthetic to numb the affected area.
Repairing flexor tendons is more challenging because the flexor tendon system is more complex. Flexor tendon repair usually needs to be carried out under either general anaesthetic or regional anaesthetic (where the whole arm is numbed) in an operating theatre by an experienced plastic or orthopaedic surgeon who specialises in hand surgery.
Depending on the location of the injury, it can take up to three months for the repaired tendon to regain its previous strength.
Rehabilitation involves protecting your tendons from overuse using a hand splint. You'll usually need to wear a hand splint for several weeks after surgery.
You'll also need toperformhand exercises regularly during your recoveryto stop the repaired tendons sticking to nearby tissue, which canprevent you frombeing able to fully move your hand.
When you can return to work will depend on your job. Light activities can often be resumed after 6-8 weeks and heavy activities and sport after 10-12 weeks.
The outcome is often better when the injury is a clean cut to the tendon, rather than one that involves crushing or damage to the bones and joints.
A flexor tendon injury is generally more serious because they'reoften put under more strain thanextensor tendons. After a flexor tendon repair, it's quite common for some fingers to not regain full movement. However, the tendon repair will still give a better result than not havingsurgery.
In some cases, complicationsdevelop after surgery, such as infection or the repaired tendon snapping or sticking to nearby tissue. In these circumstances, further treatment may be required.
.
Find out about when hand tendon repair is needed, how surgery is carried out, the recovery process and possible complications.
Read about how an extensor tendon repair and flexor tendon repair are carried out.
Find out about recovery and rehabilitation after having hand tendon surgery, including when you'll be able to go home, return to work and resume normal activities.
Some common complications of tendon repair include infection, the tendon rupturing and the repaired tendon sticking to nearby tissue.