Flexor tendon injuries are damaging for one very important reason. These flexible cords attach to our muscles and bones in configurations that allowing for all varieties of bending. Without them, this flexibility goes right out the window.
Flexing your wrist upwards to wave hello? Good luck with that if you have a lacerated tendon. Using a keyboard? You’re going to learn quickly just how much you depend on your tendons for this motion. Even something as simple as walking wouldn’t be possible without full access to the tendons in your legs and feet. Even moving cautiously, accidents still happen.
Deep cut or crush injuries can impede your range of motion, particularly for bending and flexing motions.
If you are dealing with a potential tendon injury, some of the following points can prove extremely useful or at least shed light on what you’re going through:
- The muscles responsible for bending your fingers are referred to as flexor muscles. They use your tendons to pull and slacken up on your fingers, moving them. Each of your fingers features two flexor tendons, with only one in your thumb.
- Simple cuts may be much more serious beneath the surface, particularly in cases where nerves or arteries seem injured, as well. With an injury of this sort, a “wait and see,” treatment will not help, as the damage requires active treatment.
- Cut flexor tendons impede your ability to bend your finger completely. In cases like these, the injury should be addressed within the space of two weeks at the most, for optimized recovery. This requires surgery, as flexor tendons don’t heal on their own.
How to Prevent Flexor Tendon Injuries
Through surgery and consistent hand therapy, most people can make some degree of recovery from a tendon laceration. Of course, not every case is the same, and you’ll want to make sure you invest in high-quality components to help safeguard against future complications. But the right team and tools at your disposal improve your options for recovery much more than you might expect.
And, on the topic of quality components…
Make sure to check out Toby Orthopaedics’ full range of orthopedic implants, and learn why we’re Central Florida’s favorite supplier of next-generation medical tech and devices, today!