[Closed tendon injuries of the hand]

Cases of subcutaneous tendon ruptures of the hand were compiled over a period of 10 years; the lesions were all traumatic rather than due to degenerative illness. The 914 injuries fall into two categories: 867 extensor and 47 flexor tendon ruptures. The localisation of the lesions is most often distal. The extensor tendon lesion is accompanied more often by a ruptured bony fragment; the distal flexor tendon is mostly torn-off bony fragment. The extensor tendon ruptures can be subdivided as follows: distal injuries of the extensor aponeurosis in the DIP joint (751 cases), IP joint (31), tractus intermedius (27), ext. carpi radialis longus (5) and brevis (1), ext. carpi ulnaris (6); proximal ruptures of the ext. pollicis longus (42), ext. digitorum communis II and indicis (1 each) and ext. carpi radialis longus and brevis (1 each). The flexor tendon lesions are as follows: distal injuries to flex. digitorum profundus (32 cases), flex. pollicis longus (9), and the opponens pollicis, which is classified under this heading (2). Proximal lesions to flex. pollicis longus (2) and flex. digitorum profundus and superficialis (1 each).