1. A Painful Athletic Injury
A mallet finger is a finger deformity which occurs when a tendon on the top of the a finger is damaged, causing the end of the finger to droop uncontrollably. Often extremely painful, mallet finger is a common athletic injury among those who play volleyball, basketball or baseball and is also called baseball finger, or a jammed finger. Mallet finger can also occur if the finger and tendon are crushed or cut. With proper care, mallet finger is curable, usually without surgery; however, if left untreated the drooping finger may become permanent.
2. Torn Tendons and Broken Bones
There are three degrees of mallet finger. The most common form consists of an injury which damages a tendon in the finger, but there are no bone fractures present. The second form of mallet finger occurs when the force of the injury causes the tendon to rupture and fracture a small piece of bone as well. Occasionally, the injury which causes mallet finger can be so powerful that it causes a large bone fracture and pulls the bone down along with the tendon.
3. Judging Your Jammed Finger
Most often, a jammed finger will heal on its own; however, if the tip of the finger becomes bruised, blood pools below the nail and you cannot straighten your finger at all, you have not simply jammed your finger, you have damaged the tendon. It is extremely important to seek medical attention as soon as possible if you cannot straighten your finger, particularly if blood is present beneath the nail or the nail comes free from the nail bed, as these are symptoms of a compound fracture. Apply ice to the injury and keep the hand elevated above your heart until you are seen by a doctor.
4. Six Weeks With A Simple Splint
After observing any open wounds and taking an x-ray of your finger, your doctor will determine the best treatment for you. Most often there is some tendon damage and maybe a very small fracture. In this case the doctor will place a splint on your finger which will keep the finger fully extended, shortening the tendon and allowing it to heal. Generally the splint is worn for a minimum of six weeks and is used in combination with ice for pain relief. Once your splint is removed your doctor will give you some simple finger exercises to help you regain finger strength.
5. Severe Injuries are Treated With Surgery
If your x-rays reveal large fractures or damage to finger joints, you may need minor surgery to repair the injury. Pins, wires and/or small screws are often used to hold the bone in place or realign the joint while the tendon itself is stretched and grafted to its proper position. Surgery may also be used to treat older mallet finger injuries that did not heal properly. Surgery cannot often repair a finger deformity and restore all or most of the normal range of motion.
