Flexor tendon entrapment in ulnar shaft fractures.

Abstract

Entrapment of tendons in pediatric forearm fractures has been reported rarely and often is diagnosed months to years after the initial injury. Tendon entrapments are reported to occur more frequently distally than proximally. Two pediatric cases of proximal entrapment of the flexor digitorum profundus in an ulnar shaft fracture are reported here. Early diagnosis permitted surgical release and early restoration of full function. These cases emphasize the difficulty in diagnosing this rare condition in a young child and the need for careful digital range of motion examination under ideal circumstances, with pain and apprehension eliminated.