Vincula tendinum of hand

The vincula tendinum of hand are slender, fibrous folds containing small blood vessels that connect the long flexor tendons to the phalanges and joint capsules within the fibrous flexor sheath of each finger. They carry the blood supply to the tendons and provide slight mechanical support during finger motion.

Types

Each finger typically has two sets of vincula tendium for the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendons:

1. Vincula longa (long vincula)

• These are thin and elongated, and connect the FDS tendon to the proximal phalanx and the FDP tendon to the middle phalanx.

2. Vincula brevia (short vincula)

• These are short and triangular, and connect the tendons near their insertion sites (the FDS to the middle phalanx and the FDP to the distal phalanx).

Function

The vincula tendinum transmit small vessels from the periosteum to the tendons, maintaining their vascular supply, and help stabilize the tendons within the synovial sheath during finger movement.