endobj /BaseFont /Courier-BoldOblique In a mallet injury, when an object hits the tip of the finger or thumb, the force of the blow tears the extensor tendon. Keep your finger straight at all times. PDF Instructions for Mallet Finger Treatment - The Hand & Upper Extremity Hope to be in good shape when I'll be at his office next month. /F7 9 0 R /Name /F5 Minor complications developed in 38 out of the 84fingers splinted (45%). You may find yourself unable to completely straighten your finger, and it may droop at the top. This article has been viewed 379,183 times. It is also imperative that the tape is wrapped around tightly so that you do not have enough mobility to bend your finger, but not so tight that you cut off circulation or cause the finger to become numb or discolored. These types of injuries may lead to chronic infection or abnormal growth of the distal phalanx.Mallet fingers with exposed bone or with a cut tendon should be treated urgently to prevent infection.If a mallet finger is not treated promptly, the finger may not function properly and may cause pain. Mallet finger most often occurs when something hits the tip of your straightened finger and bends it down with force. ",#(7),01444'9=82. 172 0 obj <> endobj This could be because you were not wearing your splint consistently throughout the whole 6 to 8 weeks. This results in a permanent droop. << /Subtype /Type1 Mallet Finger: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment - Cleveland Clinic I have seen doctors and therapists miss this diagnosis. This gives the finger the appearance of a mallet or hammer. << What happens if there is still a deformity after the splint comes off . If you dont treat your mallet finger injury, your finger could become stiff and even unbendable. << Unfortunately, there is not one reason why your mallet finger may not be healed. Click on the Facebook icon to go to our page. Its basically a fracture to the tip of your finger. /F5 7 0 R endobj Editorial team. PDF Mallet Finger - East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust hm8DBbB9vU)A!36aYlu2x. 0000012885 00000 n Most mallet finger injuries are treated with splinting. /Filter /DCTDecode Youll need to know if the tendon was torn, if it detached from the bone or if theres a fracture. On rare occasions, supplemental imaging studies such as an ultrasound or MRI may provide additional information. /BaseFont /Courier Same goes with moving too quickly at the end of 6 weeks. 0000001530 00000 n Mallet finger injuries are [1]: Named for the resulting flexion deformity of the fingertip, which resembles a mallet or hammer The finger may be painful, swollen and bruised, especially if there is an associated fracture, but often the only finding is the inability to straighten the tip. Mallet finger injuries occur when a forceful blow is delivered to the tip of a finger while the finger is flexed. /Parent 2 0 R Surgery may also be considered if wearing a splint is difficult or was not previously successful. After a minimum of six weeks and adequate healing, your hand physiotherapist may develop a stretch and exercise routine to help strengthen your finger. Coming to a Cleveland Clinic location?Hillcrest Cancer Center check-in changesCole Eye entrance closingVisitation and COVID-19 information, Notice of Intelligent Business Solutions data eventLearn more. Seeing a hand doctor will confirm the type of mallet finger you have. Using the uninjured hand, straighten the fingers of the injured hand. Mallet finger is a painful injury with a simple treatment. Safe and Simple Exercises For Your Mallet Finger Injury. 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. In these cases, surgery is done to repair the fracture using pins to hold the pieces of bone together while the injury heals. . 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. We advise that you monitor the skin under your splint to avoid skin breakdown. DO NOT let your finger go unsupported! stream These cookies do not store any personal information. >> Now another reason why I find that your mallet finger may not be healed is because it isnt a mallet finger. In: Wolfe SW, Pederson WC, Kozin SH, Coshen MS, eds. 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. If your young child has mallet finger and doesnt get treatment, their finger may not grow properly. A droop, or lag, of 10 to 15 degrees is considered normal after a tendinous mallet finger. If this is the case, then your finger will not be placed in hyperextension. In most cases, there is only a small piece of bone or a tendon injury and this can be treated very effectively with hand therapy. Tendons are tissues that connect muscles to bone. Youll then wear your splint day and night for a minimum of six weeks. /Name /F7 This is due to laxity or flexibility of tissues of the individual instead of injuries. Normally, a splint will be worn at all times for about eight weeks (see Figure 3). Removing your splint even once, without support, can undo all that healing goodness. /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 If a fragment of the distal phalanx was pulled away when the tendon ruptured, or if there is a larger fracture of the bone, it will appear in an x-ray. A splint holds the fingertip straight (in extension) until it heals. For example, if you have a tendinous mallet finger, your finger needs to be placed in a little bit of hyper extension in your splint. This meanswearing your mallet finger splint 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. /Name /F8 0 It is important that you do not return to sport or manual work without the splint on for 12 weeks after treatment commenced or else you are at risk of re-injuring the finger. 12 0 obj These types of injuries put you at risk for infection. If you are using a different splint, put your finger in a plastic bag or use a glove. Surgery may involve applying a wire in the finger to keep it straight, stitching the tendon together or making a new tendon, or fusing the joint so it stays straight. /Type /Page If the fingertip droops at all, healing is disrupted and you will need to wear the splint for a longer period of time. %%EOF Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. A trained professional should make your splint to make sure it fits correctly and your finger is in the right position for healing. A drooping finger is more commonly known as a Mallet finger injury. hbbd``b`j~@q3` % tk*%"~ p- !"4hd`bd 2"? 2 /Encoding 16 0 R Mallet Finger - Cause, Symptoms, Treatment- Mobile Physio We use cookies to make wikiHow great. /Pages 2 0 R To restore function to the finger, the splint must be worn full time for 8 weeks. If you wait to start treatment or do not wear the splint as you are told, you may have to wear it longer. Rosemont, IL, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2010. /BaseFont /Helvetica-Bold << Thanks a lot. 5 0 obj /agrave/aacute/acircumflex/atilde/adieresis/aring/ae/ccedilla As the splint dries, you must keep your injured finger straight. Sometimes, blood can collect underneath the nail. 0000005584 00000 n (Bottom) A fragment of the distal phalanx has pulled away with the tendon. Mallet finger injuries are commonly encountered in everyday clinical practice. Your splint should be snug enough to hold your finger in a straight position so that it does not droop. /Subtype /Type1 0000006954 00000 n By clicking Accept, you agree to our use of cookies. As a result, you are not able to straighten the tip of your finger or thumb on your own. from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. If needed, theyll refer you to a hand physiotherapist or an orthopaedic surgeon. Often, its a ball when playing sport! 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. Most patients with mallet fingers can be treated successfully with a splint, even if there is a fracture. The resulting drooping fingertip looks a bit like a mallet or hammer, so we call it Mallet Finger. /Encoding 16 0 R You will likely be able to return to your normal activities or sports, as long as you wear your splint all the time. >> As some individuals do not see the hammer resemblance, some have proposed changing the name to drop the word "finger" due to its appearance. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. When you shower, cover your finger and splint with a plastic bag. 10 0 obj Swelling in your finger when you are no longer wearing the splint may be a sign that the tendon has not healed yet. But it can also occur when performing household activities if you strike the tip of a finger on an immoveable object such as a door or wall. 172 38 /BaseFont /Times-Roman If your tendon is only stretched, not torn, it should heal in 4 to 6 weeks if you wear a splint all the time. /Type /Font /Subtype /Type1 This gives the finger the appearance of a mallet or hammer. Mallet finger is an injury to the thin tendon that straightens the end joint of a finger or thumb. Mallet finger is the term applied to extensor avulsion fractures or distal extensor tendon ruptures. /Name /F1 What to Expect Wearing a splint on your finger to keep it straight is the most common treatment for mallet finger. 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. You may need to wear a splint for different lengths of time. 209 0 obj <>stream This cut can go down to the bone and can divide the extensor tendon away from the bone. Sometimes, the tendon can rupture from only a little force exerted at just the wrong angle. It can cause pain, swelling, and a drooping or bent fingertip. In children, mallet finger injuries may involve the cartilage that controls bone growth. Its that you can go weeks and weeks treating your finger, AND it can still droop! For pain, you can use ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve, Naprosyn), or acetaminophen (Tylenol). F: (07) 3124 6245 This is a big reason why your finger should be splinted in hyperextension. /egrave/eacute/ecircumflex/edieresis/igrave/iacute/icircumflex/idieresis Hand Therapy - Helping you get back to what you love! If splinting is not started for several weeks after injury, the result is less satisfactory but can still be successful.Your surgeon or hand therapist will provide instructions on how to wear the splint. Example of mallet finger with drooping of tip. Continued pain and repeated injuries are more likely due to a problem in the joint. This means that it must be worn while bathing, then carefully changed after bathing. 0000028806 00000 n X It is also known as "baseball" finger . /Type /Font /Oslash/Ugrave/Uacute/Ucircumflex/Udieresis/Yacute/Thorn/germandbls "This article provided me with encouragement that help can be gained from using a splint even after a partially, "I found out important info about splints that are used for mallet finger.".
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