Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 28, 2025
A Novel Tenorrhaphy Suture Technique with Tissue Engineered Collagen Graft to Repair Large Tendon Defects
Published on: December 10, 2021
Closed flexor pulley injuries: A literature review and current practice
Francesco Bosco1, Fortunato Giustra1, Alessandro Lusso1
1Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of Turin, CTO, Turin, Italy.
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.
