Isolated A1 Pulley Rupture of Left Fourth Finger in Kendo Players: Two Case Reports

Closed flexor pulley injuries: A literature review and current practice

Background

Closed flexor pulley injuries are a clinical entity of great interest in hand surgery, and these lesions could be observed mainly in rock-climbing athletes.

Objective

An extensive literature search of PubMed, SCOPUS, Cochrane Library, and Web of Sciences databases on closed finger pulley rupture, related treatments, and outcomes were performed. All relevant information was used in this literature review.

Conclusions

Many athletes are potentially exposed to these uncommon injuries. Therefore, these lesions require careful examination and a high index of suspicion to confirm the diagnosis and identify the degree of soft tissue injury, particularly in patients not involved in sporting activities. The data summarized in this literature review demonstrated that according to Schöffl's classification, conservative treatment should be indicated for low-grade injuries (grade 1 or 2), whereas surgical treatment should be performed in patients with more severe acute injuries (grade 4). Grade 3 flexor pulley injuries lie in a grey area where conservative and surgical treatment may give good clinical and return-to-sport patient results.

Multiple flexor tendon pulley ruptures in a division 1 collegiate football player

Injuries to the hand and digits are common in football players. To our knowledge, there have been no reports on multiple flexor pulley ruptures in football players treated non-operatively through splinting and taping techniques. A 22-year old collegiate defensive lineman sustained an injury resulting in complete disruption of the annular 2, 3, 4, and cruciate 1 and 2 pulleys. The patient was successfully treated with serial custom splints for 12 weeks. Our splinting and taping techniques and timing of these have not been previously described. This case illustrates a successful treatment option in football players with multiple flexor pulley ruptures.

Acute hand injuries in athletes

Hand and wrist injuries in athletes are common, representing between 3 and 25% of all sports injuries. As many as a quarter of all sports injuries involve the hand or wrist. We review the recent literature regarding acute hand injuries in athletes based on the structures involved - bone, muscle/tendon, ligament, and neurovascular - including diagnosis and pathophysiology of these injuries, focusing on athlete-specific facets of treatment, and when available, opinions on return to play.