Mallet Finger, A Simple Guide To The Condition, Diagnosis, Treatment And Related Conditions

This book describes Mallet Finger, Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases

Actually I have a mallet finger on my right pinkie (small finger) maybe due to some sports played in the past (soccer, boxing) but it has never affected my hand function so I was not bothered.

A Mallet finger (Baseball Finger) is a deformity of the finger caused when the tendon that straightens the finger (the extensor tendon) is injured.
When a ball or other object strikes the tip of the finger or thumb and forcibly twists it, the force ruptures the tendon that straightens the finger.
The force of the strike may even take away a piece of bone along with the tendon.
The tip of the finger or thumb no longer straightens.
Causes:
Mallet finger happens when this tendon:
1. Is stretched or torn
2. Pulls a piece of bone away from the rest of the bone (avulsion fracture)
Mallet finger most often happens when something (such as a baseball) strikes the tip of the straightened finger and bends it down with force.
In a mallet injury, the force of the blow tears the extensor tendon.
Sports injuries are the most frequent cause of mallet finger, mostly from catching a ball.
Sometimes, a minor force such as tucking in a bed sheet will produce a mallet finger.
The injury may tear the tendon or pull the tendon away from the place where it connects to the finger bone (distal phalanx).
In some instances, a small piece of bone is torn away along with the tendon.
This is termed an avulsion injury.
The long, ring, and small fingers of the dominant hand tend most likely to be injured.
Symptoms
In a mallet finger, the fingertip will droop: it cannot straighten on its own power.
The finger may be painful, swollen and bruised, particularly if there is a linked fracture, but often the only finding is the inability to straighten the tip.
The fingertip will droop obviously and will straighten only if the patient pushes it up with the other hand.
Occasionally, blood accumulates beneath the nail.
The nail can even become detached from under the skin fold at the base of the nail.
Diagnosis
After discussing the medical history and symptoms, the doctor will examine the finger or thumb.
During the examination, the doctor will hold the affected finger and ask the patient to straighten it on his or her own.
This is termed the mallet finger test.
During the mallet finger test, the doctor determines whether the patient can straighten the fingertip without assistance.
The diagnosis is obvious by the appearance of the finger.
Doctors will often request x-rays to determine if a piece of bone pulled away and to make sure the joint is aligned.
X-rays
If a fragment of the distal phalanx was avulsed away when the tendon ruptured, or if there is a larger fracture of the bone, it will be revealed in an x-ray.
An x-ray will also reveal whether the injury has taken the bones of the joint out of alignment.
Treatment
A mallet finger injury needs medical treatment to make sure that the finger regains as much function as possible.
Most doctors advise seeking treatment within a week of injury.
First Aid
To relieve pain and reduce swelling, the patient applies ice to the finger immediately and keep the hand elevated above the heart.
There have been patients in which treatment was postponed for as long as a month after injury and full recovery was still obtained.
Mallet finger injuries that are not treated rapidly may result in stiffness and deformity of the injured fingertip.
The majority of mallet finger damages can be treated without surgery.
Most mallet finger injuries are treated with a splint.
A splint holds the fingertip straight (in extension) for 8 weeks until it recovers
This may be extended for another 4 weeks.

TABLE OF CONTENT
Introduction
Chapter 1 Mallet Finger
Chapter 2 Causes
Chapter 3 Symptoms
Chapter 4 Diagnosis
Chapter 5 Treatment
Chapter 6 Prognosis
Chapter 7 Trigger Finger
Chapter 8 Claw Hand
Epilogue