Analysis of pediatric tendon injuries in the hand in comparison with adults

Abstract

Background The purpose of this study was to identify the epidemiologic characteristics of hand tendon injuries in children and to compare these with those of adults. Methods This retrospective study was conducted on acute traumatic tendon injuries of the hand treated at our institution from 2005 to 2013, based on medical records and X-ray findings. Age, sex, hand injured, mechanism of injury, tendons and zones injured, number of affected digits, and comorbidities and complications were analyzed. Patients were divided into 2 groups: a pediatric group (≤ 15 years) and an adult group (> 15 years). Results Over the 9-year study period, 533 patients were surgically treated for acute traumatic tendon injuries of the hand. In the pediatric group (n=76), being male, the right hand, the extensor tendon, complete rupture, the middle finger, and glass injury predominated in hand tendon injuries. In the adult group (n=457), results were similar, but injury to the index finger and knife injury were the most common. An accompanying fracture was more common in the adult group and complication rates were non-significantly different. Conclusions This comparative analysis revealed no significant epidemiologic intergroup differences. The belief that pediatric tendon injuries tend to be less severe is misplaced, and careful physical examination and exploration should be conducted in pediatric cases of hand injury.