Flexor tendon repair (index finger)
I cut my finger in a fishing accident. I lost movement in the top joint but could still minorly bend the second until the tendon ruptured completely and retracted near the base of my finger, where after I could not bend the middle joint either. I had surgery at Houston Methodist and was put in a soft cast (ace bandage with 2 fingers wrapped together) and was told not to remove it until post op, but to make "air grabbing" motions 4 times a day for 15 minutes each which I did.
Two weeks later at post op the stitches (an M shape going all the way down my finger) were removed and my Ortho recommended a soft cast again. I did not receive a splint or hard brace of any kind. They wrapped it the same as after surgery which was to wrap my index and middle finger together (straight not and a bend) and the rest around my hand and wrist.
I had my first PT a couple days later where they measured grip strength, swelling, and how far I could move it. I still cannot move the top joint but can minimally move the middle (feels like there's tape wrapped around it still). They assigned several exercises that include, finger spreads, finger MP flexion AROM, thumb AROM opposition to all fingers, seated finger MP extension AROM, seated finger PIP flexion AROM, combined thumb and forefinger flexion AROM, and seated finger adduction and extension. However the therapist didn't tell me how often to do them so until I see him again I'm doing 4 times a day. I still didn't receive any kind of splint and I remove the soft cast when doing the exercises.
I am currently 3 weeks post op and am just concerned because every other post I've read, everyone got a splint and didn't straighten out their finger due to possible tendon rupture while I was given a soft cast. Honestly I'm nervous and scared about the whole thing. I definitely took my dominant hand and finger for granted and daily tasks/work are more difficult now. I'm doing the all the exercises assigned since surgery and don't see any additional range of motion in that second knuckle. I know it's soon after surgery and there's swelling as I don't have any wrinkles at the tip and barely any at the second knuckle so maybe that's it. I guess I'm just looking to see what people think about the soft cast and lack of range of motion.