If a tendon injury occurs in a specific flexor zone, what implication does that have for more distal zones?

If a tendon injury occurs in a specific flexor zone, what implication does that have for more distal zones?

• A. They are unaffected
• B. They heal independently
• C. They are affected too
• D. They require a separate repair

Answer: (C)

Flexor tendons glide through a continuous synovial sheath along the finger, so an injury in one zone can lead to scar tissue and adhesions that tether the tendon along its whole length. When the healing response tightens the sheath or creates adhesions in a proximal zone, the tendon’s ability to glide distally is impaired as well. In other words, the distal zones don’t heal in isolation—their motion is affected by what happens nearby within the shared tendon sheath.

Flexor tendons glide through a continuous synovial sheath along the finger, so an injury in one zone can lead to scar tissue and adhesions that tether the tendon along its whole length. When the healing response tightens the sheath or creates adhesions in a proximal zone, the tendon’s ability to glide distally is impaired as well. In other words, the distal zones don’t heal in isolation—their motion is affected by what happens nearby within the shared tendon sheath.