Finger Injury or Dupuytren’s?
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
Although the palm is extremely complex, with many intrinsic muscles and tendons, climbing injuries affecting this area are relatively few. The primary difference between this disease and an injury around the base of the finger that might be confusing is how the pain started. Anything associated with an OMG moment is likely an acute injury and not Dupuytren’s disease.
Assuming the pain starts slowly, chronic stress around the A1 pulley or the opening of the flexor sheath (known as tenovaginitis) are two possibilities, albeit they are less common than Dupuytren’s disease. The defining difference is the presence of a nodule in the palm that is associated with reduced finger extension once the disease gets going. In its early stages, differentiating the disease from these options is more nuanced and requires a professional eye.
Feature image by Boone Speed
This article appeared in Rock and Ice 256