Pulley rupture and reconstruction in rock climbers.

Hand-grip techniques in modern rock climbing generate climbing-related injuries, especially at the flexor tendon sheath level. The most frequent injury is A2 pulley rupture. The clinical diagnosis is based on bowstringing of the flexor tendon and confirmed by computed tomograph scan or magnetic resonance imaging. The surgical procedure is based on an extensor retinaculum graft to reconstruct the ruptured pulley. It is the only efficient treatment regardless of the time between accident and surgery. Thanks to this surgical procedure, patients recover or improve their former climbing performance. Some precautions before climbing may prevent this injury, and these are listed.