Tennis elbow surgery recovery takes 4 to 6 months, and grip can take up to a year. The surgery removes degenerate tendon; loading is still what rebuilds it, which is why the rehab looks like the treatment you had before.
Intersection syndrome is inflamed tendons 4 to 8 cm above the wrist on the back of the forearm, often with a squeak you can feel. Most settle in 2 to 6 weeks with a splint and a change of load.
ECU tendonitis is an overloaded tendon on the little-finger side of the back of the wrist, and most settle in 6 to 12 weeks. If the wrist snaps when you turn your palm up after an injury, a cast in the first few weeks can heal it without surgery.
A torn distal biceps tendon is best repaired within about 2 to 3 weeks, before it retracts and needs a graft. The arm still bends, so people wait. The hook test takes seconds.
A whole finger evenly swollen, resting bent, tender along the palm side and agony to straighten: those are Kanavel’s four signs of a flexor tendon sheath infection. Go to the ER now, then expect 6 to 12 weeks of hand therapy to keep the tendon gliding.
Yes. Any bite that breaks the skin of the hand needs the ER or urgent care today, especially a cat puncture or a split over a knuckle from a tooth. Those two seal bacteria into joints and tendons, and can turn into an infected joint overnight.
Most A2 pulley injuries heal without surgery: about 6 weeks for a strain, 3 months to full crimping for a partial tear, nearer 6 months after a complete rupture. Visible bowstringing needs imaging.
Most extensor tendon repairs take about 12 weeks: 4 to 6 weeks splinted, light use from weeks 6 to 8, full use around week 12. The real risk is a quiet lag, a finger that stops straightening all the way. Here’s the weekly check that catches it.
Rheumatoid arthritis in the hands shows up as morning stiffness over an hour, soft swelling of the big knuckles, middle joints and wrists on both sides, and feeling unwell. Early treatment protects the joints; late treatment can’t rebuild them.
Expect about 12 weeks before a repaired flexor tendon handles real gripping, and 3 to 6 months to near-full use. The splint stays on full-time for about 6 weeks, and the repair is weakest around week 3, exactly when the hand starts feeling fine.