Mallet Finger (Baseball Finger) By: Rachel Wyatt Ashley Folden
Description of Injury A deformity of the finger when the extensor tendon is damaged.
Anatomy Damage to the DIP joint (distal inter- phalangeal joint)
Mechanism of Injury It is usually caused by a ball or other object hitting the top of the finger or thumb, this force causes the damage to the extensor tendon.
Treatment (non-surgical) Ice, elevation Splint
Treatment (surgical) Not as common Done by implanting wires, pins and sometimes screws in order to repair and straighten the extensor tendon.
Recovery It can take several months to heal fully. Keep the splint on for the allotted time so the tendon can fully heal.