Buried tendons. An unusual complication of physis fracture

Tendon entrapment as a consequence of forearm fracture is rare. Only a few such tendon incarcerations have been described in the literature.

An 8-year-old boy presented with inability to extend the middle, ring, and little fingers of his right hand. Six months earlier, he had sustained an open Salter-Harris II distal radius and greenstick ulna fractures treated elsewhere with an external fixator and a Kirshner wire. After clinical evaluation, surgical exploration was decided. During surgery, the deep flexor tendons of these fingers were released from a bone canal proximally to the previous fracture site. Two years postoperatively, the patient presented with growth arrest signs of the palmar aspect of his distal radius. Shortening, epiphysiodesis of the ulna and epiphysiodesis of the radius were performed.

Three tendons entrapped proximally to a previous fracture site is a unique incident. It indicates the need for a high level of suspicion to recognize and manage these severe complications timely. HIPPOKRATIA 2017, 21(1): 52-54.