Treatment of hand tendon lacerations (cuts) is based on the severity of the tendon injury.
Most tendon injuries are partial thickness as many lacerations don’t penetrate through them completely.
These are very common injuries due to knives, broken glass, or dog bites.
Tendons injured by sharp objects can pop free of their attachment sites to the fingers. They can retract several inches, sometimes all the way into the hand or wrist. The further they have pulled back, the harder they are to repair. Tendons usually retract within their connective tissue sheath due to muscle tension after an injury.
Extensor tendons are on the back of the hand. They allow you to straighten your fingers. They are usually easier to repair because they don’t retract very far. And they usually heal much better and faster than flexor tendon injuries.
Flexor tendons are on the palm side of the hand and help you bend your fingers allowing you to grip or make a fist. Unfortunately, these tendons can retract quite a way into the palm or wrist. Repair may not be possible if they aren’t repaired within the first couple of weeks after injury. They take a long time to heal and usually require splinting and slow rehabilitation.
