Mallet finger is a tendon injury affecting the top joint of any finger or thumb. The injured tendon no longer straightens the joint, giving your finger a bend that you can’t straighten. While this condition is usually due to a strong impact, sometimes a relatively minor force can cause the damage.
The hand and wrist injury specialists at Southern Westchester Orthopedics & Sports Medicine see many cases of mallet finger, as it’s a common baseball injury. Our experienced orthopedic surgeons can diagnose and treat your case of mallet finger, regardless of the cause.
The event causing mallet finger affects the extensor tendon by causing a rupture in mid-tendon, pulling away from the bone at the tip of your finger, or through an avulsion injury, where the bone at the tendon’s attachment point breaks away.
While any finger or thumb can suffer from this type of tendon injury, it tends to affect the middle, ring, and pinky fingers of your dominant hand most often.
Mallet finger usually results from a jamming type of injury. Your finger may be painful, swollen, and discolored after an injury that damages the extensor tendon. The fingertip droops noticeably, but you can straighten the joint using your other hand. It returns to its drooped condition when you let go.
You can start treatment by icing and elevating the hand with the affected finger above the level of your heart. This minimizes fluid retention and swelling. Acetaminophen helps with the discomfort or pain, or you may choose a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory like ibuprofen or naproxen to relieve pain and combat swelling.
You can fashion a temporary splint to straighten and hold the affected joint. A tongue depressor padded with cotton balls works well.
If you notice bleeding beneath the fingernail or if the nail is detached, seek immediate medical care due to the risk of infection. These symptoms may also indicate a more complex fracture affecting the finger joint.
Contact the nearest location of Southern Westchester Orthopedics & Sports Medicine as soon as possible to schedule an orthopedic examination within a week of your injury. Avoiding treatment can lead to permanent disfigurement of the joint. While this condition may not cause pain or functional issues, you could have an increased risk of repeated injuries to that finger.
Medical treatment for mallet finger includes using a nonremovable splint that stabilizes the joint until the tendon and bone can heal. You’ll wear this splint for about eight weeks. Any motion of the joint can eliminate healing progress, so it’s important to follow your doctor’s instructions.
We generally reserve surgery for cases of mallet finger with avulsion injuries, including large fragments of bone, or in cases where treatment with a splint fails. Surgery could involve wires or screws to realign the joint.
You can reach the team at Southern Westchester Orthopedics & Sports Medicine by phone or online at any of our three New York locations. Don’t delay mallet finger treatment. Book your visit right away.
