Splint timelines, therapy milestones and when grip strength typically returns.
Hands earn livings, which makes the question after every hand operation the same: when can I work? The honest answer depends on the operation, the job and the therapy, but the structure of recovery is predictable, and knowing it helps you plan leave, duties and money.
Repaired tendons and nerves are living cables that must heal and glide at the same time. Protect them too little and the repair ruptures; protect them too much and they scar down and stop moving. The splint and therapy programme after surgery walk exactly this line, which is why the written protocol matters as much as the operation.
In the first two weeks the hand is splinted, elevated and moved only as the protocol allows; wounds are checked and sutures removed. From weeks two to six, controlled exercises increase while the splint still protects the repair; many desk based workers return in this window, wearing the splint at work. From weeks six to twelve, strengthening begins, the splint is weaned, and manual work is reintroduced in stages. Grip strength keeps improving for up to a year.
Office and computer work: often possible at two to three weeks, with the splint on and breaks for swelling. Driving: when you can grip the wheel firmly and react without pain, confirmed at review, commonly around six to eight weeks after tendon repair. Manual labour, lifting and machine work: usually ten to twelve weeks after a tendon repair, guided by the therapist; going back early is how repairs rupture and how injured hands meet machines again.
The splint comes off only when and how the protocol says, even for washing, even for a minute. Unplanned splint removal is the single commonest cause of tendon rupture, and a rupture usually means another operation and the clock restarting.
Hand therapy sessions and the home exercise routine are not optional extras; they are the second half of the operation. Patients who attend therapy recover measurably better range and strength than those who drift, with the same surgery.
Before surgery, ask for the expected timeline in writing for your specific job, whether modified duties are realistic, and what certificate your employer needs. Employers accommodate a clear plan far more readily than an open ended absence, and a phased return, light duties before full duties, protects both the repair and the pay packet.
Only as your written therapy protocol allows. Unplanned splint removal is the commonest cause of tendon repair rupture, and a rupture usually means repeat surgery.
When you can grip the wheel firmly and react without pain, typically several weeks depending on the operation. Confirm at review before driving.
Repaired tendons and nerves regain strength gradually as they heal and glide. Strength keeps improving up to a year with therapy, which is normal, not a failure.
Light finger use is often allowed early when the repair is protected in a splint, but this depends entirely on what was repaired. Follow the movements your therapist has cleared rather than judging by comfort.
Gripping, lifting, wringing, pushing through pain and any forceful use of the repaired structure are avoided until you are told otherwise. Wound care also means keeping the dressing dry.
Keeping the hand raised above heart level, gentle movement of the joints that are allowed to move, and the compression advised by your therapist all help. Persistent swelling stiffens the hand, so it is treated actively.
Heavy work usually waits until the repaired tissue has regained strength, which takes considerably longer than wound healing. A staged return, starting with lighter duties, is often the safest way back.
