Tendonitis, Tendon Injuries and Laceration Conditions

Symptoms of a tendon injury can include:

• Sudden loss of wrist or finger movement after a cut, puncture or blunt injury
• Drooping of the end of the finger after jamming injury (mallet finger)
• Clicking, popping, or grinding sensation with wrist/finger movements
• Pain or stiffness in the hand or finger along the tendons

There are many causes of both acute and chronic tendon injuries, including:

• Lacerations (cuts) and puncture wounds to the hand/wrist/forearm
• Even small cuts to the skin can result in multiple cut tendons
• Blunt trauma or sudden heavy loads may cause tendon rupture without a cut
• Minor “jamming” injuries of the fingers may cause tendon rupture (mallet finger)
• Inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis) can cause spontaneous tendon ruptures
• Overuse can cause chronic tendon injuries
• Prior surgeries and hardware implants can result in tendon adhesions or ruptures

We can detect cases of tendon laceration or injury in a physical examination. Occasionally we order an MRI to identify where the tendon is injured, and whether or not it has retracted from the site of injury due to the pull of the muscle.

Nonoperative treatment

• Activity modification recommendations
• Splinting
• Anti-inflammatory medications
• Steroid injections
• Hand therapy

Operative treatment

Acute tendon lacerations and ruptures almost always require urgent surgical repair for the best outcome. Once the tendon retracts and scars in, it can be difficult or impossible to repair, and generally will not heal on its own. If you have sustained a cut to your fingers, hand, or wrist, and are no longer able to normally move a finger, please seek urgent medical attention. 

Even small skin wounds can hide a surprising amount of deep damage to the tendons and nerves. We can usually surgically repair cut tendons diagnosed within the first few days. The procedure typically involves a regional numbing block of your arm, followed by some sedation in the operating room, and suturing the cut or ruptured tendons. After surgery, it is critically important to follow all your surgeon’s recommendations for activity limitations, splinting and hand therapy to reduce the risk of permanent stiffness and rupture of the tendon repair.