Finger Surgery

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Mallet Finger

Mallet finger is one of several types of extensor tendon injuries. Mallet finger is an injury in which the fingertip droops because injury to the tendon prevents it from straightening that joint. It is most often caused from a sudden impact to the tip of the finger, such as when the finger is hit straight on by a ball in a sport such as football or baseball. Traumatic hand and finger injuries are best treated by hand surgeons, such as those at the Hayes Hand Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, who know which treatments produce the most successful healing outcomes for these types of injuries.

Symptoms of Mallet Finger

Swelling, bruising and pain are the most common symptoms noted with Mallet Finger. Often the fingertip droops. Occasionally, blood can accumulate under the nail, indicating a laceration in the nail bed or a compound fracture. X-rays may show a fracture, joint misalignment, or bone chip attached to the separated tendon.

Causes of Mallet Finger

Mallet finger is caused by a rupture of the extensor tendon of the terminal phalanx, or fingertip. Commonly called “baseball finger” this injury comes from a sudden hard impact to the fingertip the flexes the joint with sufficient force to tear the tendon away from the bone. Sometimes it pulls a piece of bone off, as well.

Treatment for Mallet Finger

Despite the severity of the injury, most Mallet Finger cases are treated non-surgically. Treatment should begin within a week of the injury, but preferably immediately. Ice helps reduce swelling and bleeding. Treatment for children requires the expertise of a hand specialist to prevent interference with bone growth.

While a splint is usually sufficient to hold the finger in an extended position and the tendon in place long enough to heal, it should be applied by a hand surgeon to make sure that the joint is aligned properly.

Healing can take from four to eight weeks, with the splint worn full time for about four weeks Periods of time without the splint might be increased during the last weeks of healing.

Surgical intervention may be necessary for some patients, particularly those who responded poorly to non-surgical treatment, or those who have severe fractures or joint misalignment. Surgery often requires pinning the bone pieces back together, or using screws or wire to stabilize them. Surgery can also be used to tighten a stretched tendon, graft tendon tissue or fuse the joint in a straight position.

If you live in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area and have an injury to your fingertip that you think might be Mallet Finger, please contact our hand surgeons at the Hayes Hand Center for an expert evaluation.