Abstract
Flexor pulley injuries are most commonly seen in avid rock climbers; however, reports of pulley ruptures in nonclimbers are increasing. In addition to traumatic disruption, corticosteroid-induced pulley rupture has been reported as a complication of treating stenosing tenosynovitis. Over the last decade, there have been 2 new developments in the way hand surgeons think about the flexor pulley system. First, the thumb pulley system has been shown to have 4 component constituents, in contrast to the classic teaching of 3 pulleys. Second, in cases of zone II flexor tendon injury, the intentional partial A2 and/or A4 pulley excision or venting is emerging as a component for successful treatment. This is challenging the onceheld dogma that preserving the integrity of the entire A2 and A4 pulleys is indispensable for normal digit function.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2525-2532 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of Hand Surgery |
Volume | 39 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2014 |
Keywords
- Annular pulley
- Flexor pulley
- Pulley reconstruction
- Pulley rupture
- Rock climbing
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
- Surgery