But these injuries are common accidents that arent always preventable. endobj Using the uninjured hand, straighten the fingers of the injured hand. {qd~amB. There is no fracture but only the tendon is pulled off your fingertip bone. You may need to wear a splint for different lengths of time. Be careful when you take off your splint to clean it. If treatment is delayed by more than three months, it may be impossible to correct the problem and the joint may have to be surgically fused. In some cases, a small piece of bone is pulled away along with the tendon. Mallet Finger: Symptoms & Treatment | The Hand Society >> This condition is sometimes called baseball finger because it can happen so often when catching a baseball bare-handed. Most can be completely treated with non-removable finger splinting until the tendon heals itself or the bone seals the fracture.If theres no cut or laceration, a cold treatment (ice) can be applied to bring down the swelling. Mallet fingers can happen when an object (such as a ball) strikes the tip of the finger or thumb. /F3 5 0 R Typically, the finger regains acceptable function and appearance with this treatment. << 15 0 obj Unfortunately, there is not one reason why your mallet finger may not be healed. 0000004992 00000 n /F8 10 0 R This will result in a slight droop. Take over-the-counter pain medications, if needed. If your tendon is torn or pulled off the bone, it should heal in 6 to 8 weeks of wearing a splint all the time. It is very important to seek immediate attention if there is blood beneath the nail or if the nail is detached. three mallet fingers treated simultaneously with a pal-mar thermoplastic splint secured by a dorsal nylon self-fastening strap. Stay in contact with your healthcare provider and let them know about any additional problems or concerns. stream This content is written, edited and updated by hand surgeon members of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.Find a hand surgeon near you. /BaseFont /Courier-Oblique 5 0 obj PDF E. Gene Deune, M.D., M.B.A Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hand It is often at first appearance just a jammed finger. The finger may be painful, swollen, or bruised. H\n0@ "I tripped and fell down on the pavement and ripped the anular tendon. However, some slight droop, bumpiness, or contour difference in this finger can be permanent. (Bottom) A fragment of the distal phalanx has pulled away with the tendon. 12 0 obj The goal is to keep the finger straight at the small joint until it is fully healed. You may need to take some time off work depending on how much you use the injured finger for your job. Mallet finger is an injury to the tip of the finger when something hard, like a baseball, jams it. 2022American Society for Surgery of the Hand. 11 0 obj So dont delay, if youve got any of the above symptoms takes steps towards your recovery and book in with an accredited hand therapist today! /dieresis/.notdef/ring/cedilla/.notdef/hungarumlaut/ogonek/caron Swan Neck Deformity: Causes, Treatment, Recovery and More - Healthline Specifically, the extensor tendon is injured, resulting in the inability to actively extend the finger at the distal interphalangeal joint (DIP). If there is a piece of bone pulled off, your healthcare provider may order another X-ray after a week or two of splinting to check on the appropriate position of the bone fragment and the healing process. This type of mallet finger injury doesnt show up on an x-ray. Youll then wear your splint day and night for a minimum of six weeks. Mallet finger is a common condition, especially with athletes. /BaseFont /Courier-Bold /onesuperior/grave/acute/circumflex/tilde/macron/breve/dotaccent Surgery may be considered when a mallet finger injury has a large bone fragment or the joint is not properly aligned. /Subtype /Type1 Editorial team. After discussing your medical history and symptoms, your doctor will examine your finger or thumb. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. 0000028806 00000 n /Name /F12 172 0 obj <> endobj However, there have been cases in which treatment was delayed for as long as a month after injury and full healing was still achieved. Hope to be in good shape when I'll be at his office next month. /eth/ntilde/ograve/oacute/ocircumflex/otilde/odieresis/divide By using our site, you agree to our. This is called an avulsion injury. Most mallet finger injuries are treated with splinting. The tape should be loose enough to allow sensation and blood flow to the fingertip.After the diagnosis and a reduction in swelling, there are many different types of splints and casts for mallet fingers that will be successful and comfortable for all activities over the ensuing weeks or months while the tendon or bone heals. /BaseFont /Times-BoldItalic /cedilla/onesuperior/ordmasculine/guillemotright/onequarter/onehalf/threequarters/questiondown The fingertip droops because the tendon that straightens the end joint is no longer attached to the bone and cant do its job. SP5W"]worr+1ql ^.d)Y/|y'3~F[gx,Kdderhnm78V? /Encoding 16 0 R As a result, you are not able to straighten the tip of your finger or thumb on your own. Video of the Day Step 2 Stretch the muscles of the fingers actively. Mallet finger is an injury to the thin tendon that straightens the end joint of a finger or thumb. Because wearing a splint for a long period of time can irritate the skin, your doctor may talk with you about how to carefully check your skin for problems. 4 0 obj Its basically a fracture to the tip of your finger. /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 << Dont ignore a droopy finger. /BaseFont /Helvetica-BoldOblique It is also known as "baseball" finger . 0000001530 00000 n When it is time for your splint to come off, your provider will examine how well your finger has healed. There are several types of splints used to treat mallet finger, many of them fabricated by hand therapists. 0000013609 00000 n /Oslash/Ugrave/Uacute/Ucircumflex/Udieresis/Yacute/Thorn/germandbls The injury may rupture the tendon or pull the tendon away from the place where it attaches to the finger bone (distal phalanx). As some individuals do not see the hammer resemblance, some have proposed changing the name to drop the word "finger" due to its appearance. /F5 7 0 R Mallet finger injuries are commonly encountered in everyday clinical practice. By clicking Accept, you agree to our use of cookies. Board Certified Family Medicine Physician. Step 1 Stretch the muscles of the fingers passively. [1] /BaseFont /Courier-BoldOblique You may need to wear a splint for different lengths of time. Most complications result from lack of adequate treatment that doesnt appropriately immobilize your finger. Mallet finger injuries that are not treated typically result in stiffness and deformity of the injured fingertip. These types of injuries put you at risk for infection. The hand can be elevated (fingers toward the ceiling). The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, examination, diagnosis, or treatment. In these cases, surgery is done to repair the fracture using pins to hold the pieces of bone together while the injury heals. A droop, or lag, of 10 to 15 degrees is considered normal after a tendinous mallet finger. A mallet finger injury requires medical treatment to ensure the finger regains as much function as possible. /Type /Encoding Once the mallet finger has healed, your surgeon or hand therapist will teach you exercises for the small end joint as it becomes very stiff from the splinting. Dr. Catania is a board certified Family Medicine Physician in Pennsylvania. << A slow progressive program is necessary to slowly stress the tendon. Care must be taken to keep the skin dry under a splint. endobj This is a common reason why mallet fingers are not healed. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. These cookies do not store any personal information. /Name /F1 You may develop a problem where your finger has a swans neck shape. Finger swelling can fluctuate causing the splint to slide around and sometimes fall off (g. wearing your mallet finger splint 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Injuries can occur in a number of ways, but most commonly when a straight finger is stubbed and forced to bend suddenly at the joint near the tip. So much that it truly warrants a blog post to answer. However, any action that bends the joint further than it is meant to bend can cause mallet finger. A swan neck deformity does look like a mallet finger. It can be especially tempting to remove your splint while showering. A custom-made splint that holds the tip of the finger very still must be worn continuously for six to eight weeks. /Name /F5 8 0 obj You should expect to be in a cast consistently for at least six weeks, possibly more, depending on your progress. The best way to protect that finger from bending is to use your thumb as shown here. Unfortunately, the problem wont fix itself and if its ignored it can cause long-term pain, stiffness and deformity of one or both finger joints. Now another reason why I find that your mallet finger may not be healed is because it isnt a mallet finger. In some cases you may injure your finger bone along with your tendon. This can cause inadequate healing of the tendon if this happens several times throughout the 6-8 weeks of splinting. Reproduced from Culver JE Jr: Office management of athletic injuries of the hand and wrist. >> Then upon removal of the splint, your finger could droop. Baseball finger - aftercare; Drop finger - aftercare; Avulsion fracture - mallet finger - aftercare. % of people told us that this article helped them. For 3 to 4 weeks after the initial splinting period, you will gradually wear the splint less frequently perhaps only at night. What causes swelling in mallet finger after 10 weeks in a splint? The splint is made of moulded plastic and constructed specifically for your finger by a hand therapist. << 0000012611 00000 n During the examination, your doctor will hold the affected finger and ask you to straighten it on your own. If there is good positioning of the bone fragments, new bone will fill the gap. from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. After realizing that youre unable to straighten your finger, your healthcare provider may require an: Both immediate and long-term treatment is essential to healing. !ZK?T3K'P,y }\zy{GB8NGCin(q?F6[J^73n|DhaG%d~nrI)*'cc; Even though you may be in the right position from the start, there can be a lot of reasons why you may not STAY in the correct position. A mallet finger is an injury that should be treated, but you should be able to go about your daily life. A mallet finger can also result from a deep cut from a knife or sharp object on the back of the finger. Thats why its so important to make sure you know which type of mallet finger you have. This will ensure you have kept the fingertip straight. And I wish I would have come across your screen sooner to save you time and worry. 209 0 obj <>stream {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/e\/e6\/Splint-Trigger-Finger-Step-13-Version-2.jpg\/v4-460px-Splint-Trigger-Finger-Step-13-Version-2.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/e\/e6\/Splint-Trigger-Finger-Step-13-Version-2.jpg\/aid137848-v4-728px-Splint-Trigger-Finger-Step-13-Version-2.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"