Flexor Tendon Injuries

Deep cuts in your hand can injure the tendons and nearby nerves. An injury that looks simple on the outside can be much more complex on the inside; making it impossible to even bend your fingers.

“When a tendon is cut, if caught early enough, we can take those two ends and bring them close together and suture them,” says Dr. Dennis Sagini, an orthopedic hand surgeon on the Lee Memorial Health System medical staff.

A cut tendon cannot heal without surgery. Nearby nerves and blood vessels may need to be repaired as well.

“There is a very precise type of suture that we use, there’s a very precise technique of suturing the tendon leads to better recovery,” says Dr. Sagini.

Surgery is usually performed within 7 to 10 days after an injury. In general, the sooner surgery is performed, the better recovery will be. Soon after surgery, the patient will start physical therapy. Specific exercises will help gradually regain motion and function.

“The therapy is about 6 weeks to 3 months. And in that period we can’t allow a patient who has had a tendon repair to be too aggressive with flexion because it will pull that tendon apart that we’ve repaired,” says Dr. Sagini.

Despite extensive therapy, some patients have long-term stiffness after flexor tendon injuries. Sometimes, a second surgery is required to free up scar tissue and to help the patient regain motion.

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Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL is the largest network of medical care facilities in Southwest Florida and is highly respected for its expertise, innovation and quality of care. For nearly a century, we’ve been providing our community with everything from primary care treatment to highly specialized care services and robotic assisted surgeries.

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