The Finger Injury

Anatomy:
The tendon that bends middle joint of the finger, is the shorter tendon. Called the flexor digitorum sublimis, or FDS.

Types of Injury:
Tendons can be stretched (strained) or ruptured during rock climbing.

Symptoms:

• Pain when the finger is bent.
• Mild swelling over the joint closest to the fingertip.
• Tenderness along the finger on the palm side of the hand.

Treatment:
Because the tendon cannot heal unless the ends are touching, a torn (ruptured) tendon must be repaired or sewn back to the muscle or bone. This requires surgery.

It can take up to two months before the repair is healed and it is strong enough that the hand can be used without protection. It may take another month or so before the hand can be used with any force.

My Conclusion:
I definitely requires no surgery, though the loud cracking sound meant something serious. Moreover, the two-three months break seems very demanding.


Reference:
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00015