Tendon Laceration in the Hand: Care Instructions

Overview

When a tendon in your hand is cut (lacerated), moving your fingers can be hard to do. Tendons are tough, flexible, ropy fibers that connect muscle to bone. The tendons allow the fingers to move.

The tendons in the palm of your hand are called flexors. If a flexor is cut, you may not be able to bend your fingers. The tendons that run over your knuckles and down the back of your hand are called extensors. If an extensor is cut, you might not be able to straighten the fingers.

Your doctor has examined your hand and asked you to try to move your fingers. This helped find which tendon was cut. The doctor also checked to see if the blood vessels and nerves in your fingers were damaged.

Your treatment depends on how bad the cut is.

• If the tendon is completely cut, you will need surgery to repair it. The surgery is usually done within 7 to 10 days. The doctor may close the cut on the skin with stitches, bandage it, and put your hand or finger in a splint until then.
• If the tendon is partially cut, your doctor may let it heal without surgery. You may get stitches to close the cut on the skin. Then the doctor may bandage your hand or finger and put it in a splint.

In either case, you may have to wear the splint for up to 2 months while the tendon heals. It may take one more month before you can use your hand as before.

The doctor may have given a tetanus vaccine as part of the treatment.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and contact your doctor if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.

How can you care for yourself at home?

• If your doctor put a splint on your finger, wear the splint exactly as directed. Keep the splint dry. Do not remove it until your doctor says you can.
• Keep the cut dry for the first 24 to 48 hours. After this, you can shower if your doctor says it is okay. Pat the cut dry.
• Don't soak the cut, such as in a bathtub. Your doctor will tell you when it's safe to get the cut wet.
• If your doctor told you how to care for your cut, follow your doctor's instructions. If you did not get instructions, follow this general advice:
  • After the first 24 to 48 hours, wash the cut with clean water 2 times a day. Don't use hydrogen peroxide or alcohol, which can slow healing.
  • You may cover the cut with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, such as Vaseline, and a nonstick bandage.
  • Apply more petroleum jelly and replace the bandage as needed.
• Prop up the injured hand on a pillow anytime you sit or lie down during the next 3 days. Try to keep it above the level of your heart. This will help reduce swelling.
• Put ice or a cold pack on your hand for 10 to 20 minutes at a time. Try to do this every 1 to 2 hours for the next 3 days (when you are awake) or until the swelling goes down. Put a thin cloth between the ice and your skin.
• Avoid any activity that could cause your cut to reopen.
• Do not remove any stitches on your own. Your doctor will tell you when to come back to have the stitches removed.
• Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
  • If you are not taking a prescription pain medicine, ask your doctor if you can take an over-the-counter medicine.
  • If the doctor gave you a prescription medicine for pain, take it as prescribed.
  • Store your prescription pain medicines where no one else can get to them. When you are done using them, dispose of them quickly and safely. Your local pharmacy or hospital may have a drop-off site.
• If your doctor prescribed antibiotics, take them as directed. Do not stop taking them just because you feel better. You need to take the full course of antibiotics.

When should you call for help?

Contact your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:

• You have new or worse pain.
• Your hand or finger is cold or pale or changes color.
• You have tingling, weakness, or numbness in your hand or finger.
• The cut starts to bleed, and blood soaks through the bandage. Oozing small amounts of blood is normal.
• Your cut comes open.
• You have symptoms of infection, such as:
  • Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness around the cut.
  • Red streaks leading from the cut.
  • Pus draining from the cut.
  • A fever.

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if:

• You have problems with your splint.
• You do not get better as expected.