Tendons attach your bones to your muscles, providing stability and motion. Can I Play Golf or Play Sports with a Mallet Finger? Your doctor may consider surgical repair if there is a large fracture fragment or the joint is out of line (subluxed). 0000009563 00000 n If needed, theyll refer you to a hand physiotherapist or an orthopaedic surgeon. Mallet, which means hammer, was the term used to describe the hammer-like deformity that occurred in sports-related injuries in the 1800s. It is also known as "baseball" finger . Wrap adhesive tape around your finger and the object so that the tape holds your . You should go to the emergency department when you get injured. Do not take more than the amount recommended on the bottle or by your provider. /Resources All rights reserved. Your treating therapist will show you how to safely wash the finger and reapply the splint without bending the fingertip. Dont ignore a droopy finger. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. /F7 9 0 R A slow progressive program is necessary to slowly stress the tendon. /Name /F9 To remove a mallet finger splint, slowly slide the splint off, while placing your thumb tip to tip with your mallet finger. ",#(7),01444'9=82. Mallet finger can be either a direct tear to the tendon or, more commonly, a piece of bone that is attached to the tendon fractures away. The fingertip droops because the tendon that straightens the end joint is no longer attached to the bone and cant do its job. 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! A slow progressive program is necessary to slowly stress the tendon. Because your finger will initially be swollen the splint will need to be revised during the course of your treatment as the swelling settles, to ensure that the splint still fits snugly. The cause of this condition is an injury to the extensor tendon, which straightens the end joint just before the fingernail. Mallet finger injury happens when something hard hits your extended finger or when theres some trauma to your fingertip, like getting it caught in a door. Surgery may be considered when a mallet finger injury has a large bone fragment or the joint is not properly aligned. This article was medically reviewed by Victor Catania, MD. /Width 101 Especially when you try everything from buying every splint off of Amazon, to getting 3 different doctors opinions. Sometimes, blood can collect underneath the nail. You can do your best to avoid mallet finger injuries by being careful when you play sports that use a hard ball. 28 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[<3B38AA466A30E270D6E98E6A9C008F9A><2B1C330AB2637C49AB36EB55B4848829>]/Index[10 34]/Info 9 0 R/Length 89/Prev 42369/Root 11 0 R/Size 44/Type/XRef/W[1 2 1]>>stream This gives the finger the appearance of a mallet or hammer. << Any straight, solid item will work as a splint so long as it is strong enough to hold the finger in place. /Font << The fracture may be only at the tip of the bone at the attachment site. Over time, arthritis can develop. Dont ignore a drooping finger, the treatment is simple and very effective if started as soon as possible. A step that shouldnt be missed if you dont want your future self to be asking why is my mallet finger not healed? 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. endobj Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Most people recover from a mallet finger injury and regain full or near-full use of their finger without surgery. %%EOF Continued pain and repeated injuries are more likely due to a problem in the joint. 17 0 obj 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. This article has been viewed 379,183 times. In these cases, wires or small screws are used to realign the joint (see Figure 4). There are 8 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Thats why its so important to make sure you know which type of mallet finger you have. 8s1B Wgz4jA*u,9lh u cB} fm6cv\IER sz; z4,9r=Y-8 -1*:K0s5j\ Diagnosis: A mallet finger refers to an injury whereby the extensor tendon to the tip joint (distal interphalangeal) of the finger is disrupted or torn. The tendon has several attachments on the back of the finger, including one just beyond the last knuckle that allows this last finger joint to extend (straighten). More than likely, you wont get a noticeable droop if you were placed in slight hyperextension in the splint. xq5csOmv8L"8z&gj\03TnxO_~2/;]~~Z3}sn>?_M?T[>/ FM_~%H$U vHPZ&Ud%C{?'~/f6KUnj{lnl_~Fg2-6jvNV_R)?-2?UkGv.qx[VD3lg90?/_y4 g) He is a member of the American Board of Family Medicine. . 10 0 obj << /Pages 2 0 R {"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":"