In Brief: Kanavel's Signs and Pyogenic Flexor Tenosynovitis.

Colin D Kennedy,Douglas P Hanel,Jerry I Huang

doi:10.1007/s11999-015-4367-x

Colin D Kennedy, Douglas P Hanel + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-015-4367-x

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Abstract

In Brief: Kanavel's Signs and Pyogenic Flexor Tenosynovitis.

Highlights

Pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis is an infection of the flexor tendon sheath of the finger that can result in tendon necrosis and adhesions leading to marked loss of motion, deformity, and loss of limb, if treatment is delayed [21, 22]
The advent of antibiotics and appropriate surgical treatment has decreased the risk of serious sequelae secondary to pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis
A useful clinical tool would help the clinician exclude the diagnosis of pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis when it is not present to allow correct identification of other kinds of disorders that should be included in the initial differential diagnosis for a swollen or painful finger

Summary

Introduction

Pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis is an infection of the flexor tendon sheath of the finger that can result in tendon necrosis and adhesions leading to marked loss of motion, deformity, and loss of limb, if treatment is delayed [21, 22]. The absence of one or more Kanavel’s signs does not exclude a diagnosis of pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis, the classic description of exquisite tenderness along the flexor tendon sheath, the digit held in flexion at rest, fusiform swelling of the digit (often described as a ‘‘sausage digit’’), and pain with passive extension of the digit should raise concern for the presence of pyogenic flexor tenosynovitis (Fig. 2).

Results

Conclusion