Have you noticed your fingertips drooping at the ends? Do you try to straighten your finger, but the very tip stays bent?
You might have Mallet Finger, also known as baseball finger, an injury of the extensor tendon that straightens the tip of the finger.
These injuries are marked by:
- An inability to fully straighten the fingertip
- Pain and tenderness at the outermost joint, or the DIP joint
- Swelling and bruising of the DIP joint and fingertips immediately after the injury
- Redness and inflammation around the area
- In severe cases, the fingernail might become slightly detached from the nail bed
Mallet finger can be caused by a variety of injuries, including:
- Impact injuries, like when a ball hits the tip of the finger, forcing it to bend further than it should
- Jamming a finger during daily activities like tucking in a bedsheet or pulling on a sock, rupturing the tendon
- Trauma can cause a bony mallet, which is when the tendon pulls a small piece of bone away with it, called an avulsion fracture
- A laceration or a deep cut on the back of the finger can sever the tendon
While this problem can sometimes look small, it is important to get an orthopedic evaluation to prevent permanent deformity.
A professional evaluation with an X-ray is usually necessary to check for fractures or joint misalignment.
Non-surgical treatment includes continuous splinting in an extended or straight position for 6-8 weeks. One important point: there is a "No Drop" rule with this treatment: if the splint comes off and the finger drops even once, the splint goes back on for another 6-8 weeks.
Surgical treatments are required when there are large bone fragments, joint misalignment, or when splinting treatments fail. The surgery usually involves putting in temporary pins to hold the joint straight while the tendon and bone heal.
The best recoveries involve physical therapy, which takes place after the splinting period. Exercises to regain motion without re-tearing the healing tendon promote a return to the normal range of motion. Tendons can be slow to heal, and full strength may take several months of dedicated physical therapy.
The good news is that mallet finger is highly treatable with prompt care. If you've experienced a finger injury and can't straighten your fingertip, don't wait. Schedule a consultation with our hand specialists today.
