Closed rupture of the flexor tendon pulleys of the thumb

Abstract

Closed rupture of the thumb flexor tendon pulleys is rare and, to our knowledge, the MRI findings associated with this injury have not been described in the radiology literature. The injury can result in nonspecific clinical and physical exam findings and advanced imaging may be crucial to diagnosis. A familiarity with the normal anatomy of the flexor mechanism of the thumb and the imaging appearance of pathology is therefore necessary. We report a case of a 31-year-old female nurse with ruptures of several of the thumb flexor pulleys and the corresponding findings on MRI.