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mallet finger
Etiology:
- forced flexion of an extended finger at the distal interphalangeal joint
Epidemiology:
- football players, baseball players, elderly women
Pathology:
- deformity of a finger caused by an extensor tendon injury of the distal phalanx (baseball injury)
Clinical manifestations:
- finger or thumb pain
- edema of thumb or finger
- persistence of terminal phalanx in flexed position
- the thumb or finger is unable to fully extend
- blood may collect under the fingernail
Radiology:
- X-ray to rule out fracture or malalignment of joint
Complications:
- avulsion injury may occur if the ligament in the distal phalanx is torn from its insertion site, resulting in a fracture
- non-compliance with immobilization is the most common obstacle to fully recovery & most patients will retain some residual 'droop'
Management:
- a splint to hold the fingertip in extension
- full time for 6-8 weeks
- over the next 3-4 weeks, most patients gradually begin to wear the splint less frequently
- follow-up woth occupational therapy
- surgical repair
- large fracture fragments or joint malalignment
- nonsurgical treatment failure
General
joint disease; articular disease; arthropathy
finger injury
References
- OrthoInfo: Mallet Finger (Baseball Finger)
http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00018
- Cimino-Fiallos N
14 Can't-Miss Hand Emergencies
Medscape. March 5, 2021
https://reference.medscape.com/slideshow/hand-emergencies-6010180