Mallet finger & bull; hello healthy

Definition

What is mallet finger?

Mallet finger is an injury to the thin tendon that straightens the joint end of the finger. This injury usually occurs when a hard object hits the top of the finger until the joint bends. As a result, you cannot straighten your fingertips on your own.

How common is mallet finger?

Mallet finger is a condition that is common to many people, regardless of age.

Symptoms

What are the features and symptoms of mallet finger?

One of the fingers is usually painful, swollen and bruised. Your fingertips will bend downward and you cannot straighten them. You can only straighten your finger if you push it with your other hand.

When to see a doctor?

See a doctor immediately if there is blood under the nail, or if the nail falls off. This could be a sign that there is a cut in the nail bed, or a broken finger and the wound has penetrated downward. This kind of injury puts you at risk for infection.

Cause

What causes mallet finger?

Mallet finger occurs when a hard object hits the tip of the finger, tearing a tendon and causing it to bend.

Diagnosis

How is mallet finger diagnosed?

The doctor will examine the sore finger and see if you can straighten the bent finger yourself. Your doctor can also order a finger X-ray to determine if your injury has caused the bone to fracture / break / shift.

Treatment

The information below cannot be used as a substitute for a medical consultation. ALWAYS consult your doctor for information about medications.

How to deal with mallet finger?

Mallet finger injuries require medical attention so that the finger can function as it used to. Doctors recommend that this condition be treated by a doctor no later than a week after the injury occurs. However, sometimes fingers can still be healed even if the sufferer has only been treated for a month after the injury. Most mallet fingers can be cured without surgery.

If left untreated, mallet fingers can cause stiffness and deformity.

In children, mallet finger injuries can affect the cartilage that controls bone growth. Thus, doctors must be careful in examining and repairing mallet fingers in children, so that the finger does not become deformed or stunted by its growth.

Resolved mallet finger without surgery

Most mallet fingers can be treated by bandaging them with a support. The tip of your finger will be straightened and bandaged with a tool to keep it straight.

In order for the fingers to function as before, they must be worn continuously for 8 weeks. Keep using the bandage when showering, and replace it with a new, dry bandage after bathing. Make sure your finished ends remain straight throughout this process, as if you let them bend even for a little while, the healing process will be interrupted and you will have to wear the bandage longer.

3-4 weeks after the bandage, you may be allowed to use the bandage / brace at night only.

This splint usually improves the function and appearance of the finger, but in many patients the finger remains not completely straight.

For some patients who do not want to do the splinting therapy, the doctor may insert a pin into the finger joint for 8 weeks to straighten it.

Treatment of mallet finger with surgery

The doctor may recommend surgery if there are fractured fragments of the bone, or if the joint has shifted. In this case, surgery is performed to repair the fracture using pins to hold the bone in place during the healing process of the finger. Mallet fingers usually do not require surgery if there are no bone fractures.

If there is a damaged tendon it will usually be done tendon graft (tendon tissue is patched with tissue from other parts of the body) or by holding joints together.

Consult an orthopedic surgeon to correct mallet finger conditions that require surgery.

Hello Health Group does not provide medical consultation, diagnosis or treatment.