Climber's finger

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Climber's finger is one of the most common climbing injuries within the sport of rock climbing, accounting for about 30% of finger injuries seen in climbers. [1] It is an overuse injury that usually manifests in a swollen middle or ring finger due to a damaged flexor tendon pulley, normally the A2 or A4 pulley. It is particularly common after a repeated utilization of small holds. [2] Continued climbing on an injured finger may result in increased downtime in order to recover. [3] The injury was first described in 1988 by Dr. S.R. Bollen. [4] [1]

Contents

Cause

Rock climbers often support their body with bent fingers on small edges, known as "crimps", especially on more difficult routes. This can cause a characteristic injury to the pulleys (annular ligaments), named "climber's finger". [5]

Treatment

Management of pulley injuries of the fingers is to follow the RICE method. [3] [6] [7] Other treatment suggestions are listed below:

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References

  1. 1 2 Bollen, S R (1 December 1988). "Soft tissue injury in extreme rock climbers". British Journal of Sports Medicine. 22 (4): 145–147. doi:10.1136/bjsm.22.4.145. PMC   1478743 . PMID   3228682.
  2. Preston, Dayton. "Rock Climbing Reaching New Heights". Hughston health alert. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  3. 1 2 Hörst, Eric J (2008). "Finger Tendon Pulley Injury". Nicros. Archived from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  4. "Climber's Finger: The Pulley Tear". Gripped Magazine. 2020-07-30. Retrieved 2022-01-05.
  5. Crowley, Timothy P. (June 2012). "The Flexor Tendon Pulley System and Rock Climbing". Journal of Hand and Microsurgery. 4 (1): 25–29. doi:10.1007/s12593-012-0061-3. PMC   3371120 . PMID   23730085.
  6. Roseborrough, Aimee; Roseborrough, Kyle (2009). "Fingers and Pulleys" . Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  7. Schöffl, Volker; Schöffl, I. (2007). "Finger pain in rock climbers: reaching the right differential diagnosis and therapy". J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 47 (1): 70–78. PMID   17369801. ProQuest   202716942.
  8. Larsson, Robin; Nordeman, Lena; Blomdahl, Christina (2022-08-01). "To tape or not to tape: annular ligament (pulley) injuries in rock climbers—a systematic review". BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation. 14 (1): 148. doi: 10.1186/s13102-022-00539-6 . ISSN   2052-1847. PMC   9344739 . PMID   35915476.