The need for hospitalisation of patients with finger-extensor tendon injuries is based on the patient’s general condition, the nature and severity of the injury and the treatment plan.
If the patient’s general condition is good enough to tolerate surgery, a simple tendon injury without neurovascular injury, fracture or other serious soft tissue injury can be treated with emergency surgery, post-operative braking, regular outpatient review and rehabilitation exercises.
If the patient’s general condition is too poor to tolerate surgery, if the tendon injury is accompanied by neurovascular injury, fracture, other serious soft tissue injuries such as skin defects, tendon defects requiring graft repair, or if the injury is heavily contaminated or infected and emergency phase 1 surgery is not possible, then hospitalisation is required.
Closed extensor tendon injuries are usually lacerations of the extensor tendon stop and present clinically as a hammer finger. In cases of simple tendon lacerations or minor avulsion fractures of the extensor tendon stops, conservative treatment is possible. If the avulsion fracture is severe, emergency surgical treatment or inpatient surgical treatment is required.