The condition called “mallet finger” is a result of an injury to one or more tendons in the fingers. These tendons are responsible for moving the muscles and bones in your fingers which allow them to perform various actions. This includes fairly simple tasks such as writing movements with pencils or pens or picking up coins from tables using only one hand.
If these tissues become injured they can stop functioning properly, impacting our ability to perform these and other simple tasks. In some cases, it may also affect some other parts of the hand such as wrist joints too.
While we’re not exactly sure from a clinical perspective when it is necessary to have an ultrasound for a mallet finger injury, an x-ray is always necessary to see whether there is an avulsion component to the injury and also to see whether the joint is subluxed.
For those who suffer from this condition, it’s important to know that there are a number of different treatment options. Depending on the severity of the injury, mallet finger injuries are usually treated by wearing a splint 100% full-time for approximately 6-8 weeks. If the condition is more serious, and the joint is subluxed or if the fragment is large, surgery will be required.
If you are suffering from mallet finger and would like it examined by one of our fully qualified therapists, please call us at Melbourne Hand Therapy today (03) 9899 8490 or leave an enquiry and we will get back to you as soon as possible.
