Finger braces, or splints, are devices used to immobilize or partially immobilize fingers to allow injuries to heal and protect against re-injury. Wearing finger braces can also be part of an ongoing program to help fight the degenerative impacts of diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. Different types of finger braces are suited to different kinds of finger injuries or conditions.
Ring Splints
Ring splints are most commonly used to treat swan neck deformity, a finger condition that occurs most commonly due to rheumatoid arthritis, but can also result from untreated mallet finger or improper healing of a broken finger, according to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. A ring splint comprises a metal spiral which is slid onto the finger like an ornamental jewelry ring, but positioned over the proximal interphylangeal joint, or middle knuckle. Several loops of the spiral are place below the knuckle, with one or more loops resting past the knuckle towards the fingertip, depending on the manufacturer's design. the ring sprint allows the person to grasp items freely, letting the knuckle bend, but not allowing the knuckle to hyper-extend, and protecting it from damage.
Splints for Mallet Finger
Mallet finger is an extremely common deformity characterized by a unintentionally bent fingertip. It is usually caused by an injury that damages the finger tendon, according to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. Finger braces that immobilize the affected finger allow the tendon to heal and protect it from further damage. Both Stack splints -- pre-moulded plastic tubes that slip over the finger and have an opening exposing the fingertip to maintain sensation and greater hand use during recovery -- and flexible, padded aluminum braces are commonly used for mallet finger treatment. Both types of braces are effective in treating the injury, reports A. Maitra and B. Dorani of the Accident and Emergency Department of the Royal Victoria Infirmary at Newcastle on Tyne, England. However, a custom-shaped flexible aluminum brace are adaptable to a wider range of finger sizes, and create less skin irritation than the one-piece plastic Stack braces.
Thumb Splint
A thumb splint consists of a wrist band from which a rigid padded aluminum support extends up and the side of the hand and wraps around the thumb, usually with one or more adjustable hook-and-loop tape straps. A thumb sprint is the primary treatment for the condition commonly called gamekeeper's thumb, an injury which typically occurs in a fall that jams the thumb backwards, tearing the ligament on the palm side of the thumb, according to the Merck Manuals Online Medical Library. The thumb splint immobilizes the thumb including the thumb base all the way to the wrist, and thus allows the torn ligament to heal while protecting from re-injury.
