title: Impact of taping after finger flexor tendon pulley ruptures in rock climbers.
abstract: Flexor tendon pulley ruptures are the most common injury in rock climbers. Therapeutic standards usually include a prolonged use of taping applied as a replacement for the lost pulley in a circular fashion at the base of the proximal phalanx. Our biomechanical considerations, however, suggest a new taping method, the H-tape. The purpose of the study is to evaluate whether this new taping method can effectively change the course of the flexor tendon and therefore reduce the tendon-bone distance. In order to compare the effects of different taping methods described in the literature with the newly developed taping method, we performed standardized ultrasound examinations of 8 subjects with singular A2 pulley rupture and multiple pulley ruptures of A2 and A3 pulleys and determined the respective tendon-bone distance for the different taping methods, versus without tape at a preset position on the proximal phalanx. In a second approach, we evaluated the effect of the new taping method on the strength of the injured finger using a force platform on 12 subjects with different pulley ruptures with injuries older than 1 year. The new taping method decreased the tendon-bone distance in the injured finger significantly by 16%, whereas the other taping methods did not. The strength development was significantly better with the new tape for the crimp grip position (+13%), but there was no significant improvement for the hanging position. We recommend taping with the newly presented taping technique after pulley rupture.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Physics, University of Erlangen, Nuremberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schoffl
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Einwag
authors.forename: Wolf
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Strecker
authors.forename: Friedrich
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hennig
authors.forename: Volker
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Schoffl
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005383:Finger Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005385:Fingers / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D009068:Movement; D012421:Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000534:rehabilitation; D053832:Surgical Tape; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography