Well, I am still very lucky but did not come away from my Harley wreck as unscathed as I thought. I knew I busted my finger toward the tip, but didn't know the tendon had separated (they call it Mallet Finger as the finger tip points down without the tendon attached to keep it straight). Surgery to reattach is being recommended.

Have any of you had this surgery? What's the healing and recovery time? I have four hunts this year with the first being in August for Oryx in NM. I don't want the surgery/recovery to screw things up. Gotta keep the priorities straight!

No personal experience, but a lady who worked for me cut a tendon in her hand, and it turned into a huge hassle, with multiple transplants of tendons from elsewhere in her body. Best advice I can offer is to follow the instructions of the doctor(s) to the letter, especially about rehab and therapy. Rushing things could be really counterproductive, although I understand your wanting to get back into your hunting activities ASAP.

As I understand it, the hand is a pretty complex part of the body, so something like this shouldn't be treated lightly.

Best of luck to you.

Paul

it takes a while - 6-8 weeks in a tension free splint and another couple weeks to get the range of motion back.

I severed a tendon at my pinky knuckle (one of a pair operating extension of the digit so I had the other for "support"). The worst part of it was having the hand surgeon fish the end out of the back of my hand as it had retracted up some ways

I also partially severed a tendon on the back of my thumb but that was only a stitch and no splint.

btw, I got out of the splint 2 days before antelope season started that year -- and the surgeon was, shall we say, less than pleased with my plans...

I put my hand through a table saw 5 weeks ago. I'm typing this one handed as we speak. Two of my fingers, ring and middle had tendons cut. I may never get my middle finger straight again. I lost the tip of my left index finger but there was no tendons cut. I'm doing physical therapy but it's moving along slowly. I'm not sure if there will be a second surgery on the middle finger yet. Keep us informed just incase this issue comes back up for me. I want to know how yours goes. kwg

I had two tendons severed that operated my trigger finger on a broken glass in the kitchen while quarreling with my wife and throwing a childish fit. It took four hours of surgery to reattach them, the doc had to fish down into my forearm for them. I was eight weeks out of commission right in the middle of bow season. I never got full range of motion back and my finger does not get fully strait, it took a couple of years to get it to squeeze a trigger reliably again.

Mr. kwg020:
I will seldom write to another person, �I know how you feel�, but for you I think I might come close.

About 5 years ago we were � of the way through a major house reno when I ran my left hand through the table saw. I contacted all 4 fingers, just above the 2nd knuckle on the first 3 and blowing the tip off the little finger. My middle finger required surgery to reattach the tendon and I did some bone damage too, while the rest the doctor chose to leave. Luckily, the tendon was only partially severed on the first two.

It was about 4 months before I could use it much, but I learned how to pitch bales and split firewood one handed, as well as figuring out how to finish off the house with one hand in a cast.

It was in the middle of hunting season, so I finished the season off with my wife�s .308 which is accurate shooting one handed, resting the fore end on my cast.

The long term results are that I can�t really feel the first 3 fingers above the injury. They feel like they are �asleep� if that makes any sense? My middle finger has a permanent bend in it, but my grip strength is honestly more than what it was previous to the injury, as I exercise it more now.

I can�t really play guitar anymore and they get cold quick ice fishing, but as I�ve said to others, I figure that it�s better than having them up on a shelf in a jar of formaldehyde.

Anyway I�m truly sorry to hear about your injury and that of Mr. remfak as well. If I can be of any assistance to either of you in this process, please let me know and I�ll be glad to try to help.

Regards,
Dwayne

Not the exact same thing, but I severed the tendon that extends my RH middle finger last December... Had surgery to reattach the ends on Jan. 11th.. I'm back at about 90-05%... Still can't make a total fist, or have all the strength back but the doc says that can take 6 months or better to achieve..

I severed the tendon that closes my right thumb tip in 1995. Surgeon had to go into my palm to pull the tendon back up and re-attach it. If I remember correctly it was immobilized for 6 weeks and then some therapy. I never got full motion back. I think it was immobilized too long and the tendon attached to the sheath. I can't complain because it has some motion and plenty of strength. Most of the feeling came back too, but it took several years.

I think they told me that a cut tendon was easier to re-attach than one that was torn off the bone.

Jerry

I severed the tendon on the pinky finger of my right hand. Its the one that controls the last joint on the finger. I waited to long to get it fixed and they froze the joint instead. It works OK, but sticks out and gets caught on things. I had a hard time carrying things like suitcases without that joint before it was "fixed". I would get it done ASAP. There will be other hunting seasons,

RIght ring finger evulsion fracture 5 years ago. (mine bends the opposite way of yours, buttoners finger) The tendon was reattached. Still doesnt work as the pulleys were damaged and I do not want another surgery to correct it. I had other problems as well as the tendon reattachment but it was not all that bad. Get it fixed as quick as you can, there is supposedly a time frame where the surgery can be performed.

Hint do not ever try and pull start a RTV that you have rolled over in the river. When the water in the cylinder did not compress it broke the end of my finger into 3 pieces.

Hello BC
I'm an LEO. I have to shoot weak handed to keep my job. Right now I can't grip a pistol left handed let alone shoot it. I hope to return to fully capable duty status in 6 to 8 weeks but it looks doubtful. I'm lucky. I can retire at the end of October with a full pension if things don't go well. I have just about enough sick and vacation time to make it there if I can't return to work. This will mean I might have to find a new career so I can have health care to cover me and my self employed wife. Needless to say I'm a little concerned about my future. This was not a good time for this to happen, but, is there ever a good time?

Thanks for the heads up BC, Redneck and Jerry. kwg

Hey remfak - I have had exactly the same injury but did not have the surgery. Mine happened by humping 5 gallon "cubies" of water down a mountain in Colorado. The handles are quite skinny putting 40 lbs right on the finger tips - for about 5 miles down hill from a helispot.

Result was one day I tried to get my hand in my front pocket, and because my middle fingertip came unhooked, it just rolled up and wouldn't enter the pocket. I took a look and was pretty shocked. the tip was "malleted" over and just limp like.

So, went to the Doc who had me splint it with a little plastic splint and tape. I was never to bend it. And I never did. To clean/itch the area I had to slide the splint off on a table - to leave everything flat - and re-splint it before lifting.

So, it healed just fine. I think it took about 6 weeks. Except it is a little crooked left to right. If I hold it up and point it out it is noticable. It works just fine but when I see it it reminds me of the hump and some pretty happy hot shots filling their canteens. A good thing! Is suppose if you look at it and remember a bike wreck - a bad thing.

Craig

About three years ago I tore my quadracep tendon from my knee cap. I had a succesful reattacahment operation. It took about four months for the doc to turn me loose to full duty. One lesson I learned from the experience is listen to your doctor and do what he/she says. Several folks have told me they rushed their recovery and had to have another surgery. I did it right and have no probelms.

Dropped the wheel from the Bonny on my right pinky last fall. They splinted it for 3 months. Now it won't quite straighten out, won't bend all the way and somethimes feels a little numb. I can work some of the stiffness out. I was able to keep riding using the 3 finger hold on the brake, except the straight digit did get really cold at time through the Winter.

What PO's me is I was not told of any surgery option, or offered therapy (if there is any). My insurance and I did pay a lot, though.

What surprises me the most is how much you need your little finger for gripping. I am left handed, so the usual jar lid hand used to be the right.

I am 60, so was able to keep good use for most of my life. I know one gal with 3 hammer fingers, her hand is almost useless.

I had to have this http://www.drroberthouser.com/procedure-dupuytrens-release.html procedure in both hands ( at different times ). The doctor that performed the procedure on the left hand pretty well screwed up my hand by leaving the hand in a cast for 6 weeks, then waiting another 6 weeks to order therapy. It took 6 months of therapy to gain back 50-75% range of motion and strength. I changed doctors for the right hand and I'm glad I did. The right hand was never in a cast and stitches were removed after 1 week. I have almost all of the use of my right hand back.

This is one of those threads where we get to brag about scars... in a cyber sort of way (grin).

Dwayne described, mostly, what I did to a couple of my fingers 3.5 years ago on a table saw. Since you asked about fingers, I figure my experience might be of some value (like Dwayne's).

My middle finger on my left hand got it worst, cutting through to the bone, severing the tendon and getting the "finger flop" as you describe it, just with a lot more blood (grin).

The cut was in between the middle and top joint... this is a tricky spot for the surgeon as the tendon splits into two tendons so it becomes a matter of repairing both tendons.

My orthopedic surgeon did a great job and I have, maybe, 75% normal movement in that finger, and no more "flop". Two days after the surgery I was right back building my house.

Get the surgery done... you'll regret not doing it if you don't.

PS, stay off those damn motorcycles.

Misc. info in the Patient Education section of HERE.

I had a tendon grafted from my left wrist and used to rebuild my left elbow.

Took a year to recover, but except for some limited range of motion in the elbow, all is OK now.

Helluva two years back then though. The tendon graft was my third surgery on the elbow.

Sliced an index finger pretty thoroughly when a knife slipped (dumb!). No tendon damage, just muscle and nerve. I hit rehab hard when it was time and eventually got full range of motion and almost all feeling back which was more than I was told to expect. Don't slack on the rehab when they tell you it's ok to start.

No pics in this thread but the text descriptions are sweetly gross. Let's see if anyone can add to our queasiness.

I slipped while gutting a deer 2 years ago and severed the tendon of my left middle finger right at the top. Scary thing to look at a finger hanging down and be unable to move it.

Finished gutting the deer, wrapped the hand and drove back to town, about 50 miles, and went to the emergency room. They spent several hours cleaning the cut, I thought the abdominal cavity of an animal was sterile? Then they just sewed it up and splinted it.

After about a week I went to see a hand surgeon. They numbed my whole arm up and he repaired it. And put my arm from the elbow down in a cast. They also gave me a happy drug so I didn't even feel it till I was 40 miles out of town an my way back home.

It took about 6 weeks of physical therapy to get the motion back in it, but I'm typing with it now and the only permanent damage is that I lack about 1/4" of motion in the finger. I don't even notice that now.

Other than feeling stupid for cutting myself, no harm no foul. I've field dressed deer, elk, antelope and other critters for 50 years and that was the first time I've cut myself.

Sorry to hear about your injury but you need to be more careful dude. 50 years in the business and blah blah but you know the risks.

Yup.. Cut the tendon next to the knuckle on the middle finger on my right hand a couple years ago. Get the surgery done ASAP, or it'll take a lot more time to heal along with the therapy.. I waited 2-3 weeks, not knowing exactly what I had done until realizing that I was not going to be able to lift the finger with the other three..

I was out of commission for about two months - and I can still, to this day, feel some tightness in that tendon.. But at least it works ok..

How did you take a spill?

"Luckily" my finger cuts were when I was younger, from 6 through my20's and they were healed by splinting.
Now? they don't straighten and the cold kills me.
The worst tendon injury was my right knee in the late '90's

That one took a year of PT just to keep me walking.

I've had two severed finger tendons reattached (one thumb extensor and one pinky extensor)

takes about 5-6 weeks in a finger splint, then another month or so to get full range of motion back.

I can still feel the suture knots under the skin 5 years later.

the "grossest" part was watching him fish around for the proximal end of the pinky tendon, which had retracted an inch or so up into the back of my hand....

I used to be a gym rat and a couple years after I hung it up, I tore my biceps tendon while lifting a cooler out of a truckbed. Ripped it off at the elbow and it sounded like a zipper. My bicep contracted up by my shoulder and over the next couple of days, I had all kinds of splatter marks under the skin, from elbow to wrist.

Doc opened it up on the front and back side of the elbow. They drilled holes through the bones in my forearm. The tendons where then stretched through the holes and fastened on the backside. My bicep still rides higher on that side and no longer has a natural range of motion, but it gets me by. Luckily I'm an office worker.

it takes a while - 6-8 weeks in a tension free splint and another couple weeks to get the range of motion back.

I severed a tendon at my pinky knuckle (one of a pair operating extension of the digit so I had the other for "support"). The worst part of it was having the hand surgeon fish the end out of the back of my hand as it had retracted up some ways

I also partially severed a tendon on the back of my thumb but that was only a stitch and no splint.
_________________________

And he used to be called "Utah Righty!"

Dan

I've had it done to four fingers, can't tell you anything about the procedure cause I was out like a light..Don't have full motion of them though. Each pinkie sticks straight out with no bend to them at all.

I'm not a doctor, but I play on on the Internet. In response to the OP, a lot depends on which tendon in which finger needs repaired and what you do with that finger. Almost always, a repaired tendon will be shorter than it was.

My cousin's kid (a violin player) recently severed a tendon in the ring finger of his right hand. It should heal nicely, and give his finger a permanent curve. He'll still be able to play the violin, but it would have been worse if it had been any other finger on either hand.

Steve