Surgical repair of multiple pulley injuries with proximal interphalangeal joint contracture under WALANT.

Abstract

Flexor tendon pulley reconstruction in patients with multiple pulley ruptures and proximal interphalangeal joint contracture after closed injuries is relatively uncommon. The paucity of evidence in the literature supporting one technique can make these surgical decisions and surgeries challenging. This article presents the surgical technique we use for treatment of the proximal interphalangeal joint stiffness and pulley reconstruction at the same time, using wide-awake local anesthesia with no tourniquet (WALANT). The clear advantage of this anesthetic technique for this procedure is the ability to directly verify the contracture release and tendon's gliding through the reconstructed pulley system during the patient's active mobilization, allowing the surgeon to make adjustments during the surgery and educating the patient on the postoperative therapy.