Tendon Injuries in the Hands in Rock Climbers: Epidemiology, Anatomy, Biomechanics and Treatment – An Update

Abstract

Background. Over the last decade, rock climbing has become an increasingly popular sport. With the latest inclusion into the Olympic program, this trend will continue upward. Lately, specific tendon injuries on the hand (e.g. lumbricalis tendon injuries or tenosynovitis) are reported to be on the rise within climbing patients. Design. Clinical cohort study and comparison with literature data. Review of current therapeutic concepts. Methods. Tendon injuries to the hands of rock climbers were identified from our climbers patient database over the years of 2017/18. These were compared to the numbers of 2009-2012 and 1998-2001. The injuries were analyzed, and the results were compared with the current literature. Results. Within the ten most frequent injuries over the years 2017 and 2018, three were to the tendons and tendon sheath/pulleys. In a longitudinal comparison of patients in a climbing-specific sports medical clinic, the pulley injury is consistently the most frequent injury, followed by tenosynovitis and capsulitis of the finger joints. Conclusions. In rock climbers, tendon injuries of the hand are frequent and many of these specific to the sport. Special knowledge about their pathology, diagnostics and treatment is necessary as some of these injuries rarely occur in non-climbing patients. With the further advent of climbing, an increase in injury incidence is to be expected.