Mallet splint how long

Surgical management is indicated for volar subluxation of the distal phalanx, chronic injuries, or with the presence of significant arthritis. Risk factors. Anatomic location. Doyle's Classification of Mallet Finger Injuries. Type I. Type II. Type III. Type IV. Physical exam. DIP arthrodesis. Member Login Suggested links:. Congenital Hand Conditions. Hand Injuries Select below for further information.

Council and Committees. Quick Links. Double hand transplantation What is Hand Therapy? What is Hand Therapy? After that, you will need to wear your splint for another 3 to 4 weeks, at night only. Your splint should be snug enough to hold your finger in a straight position so that it does not droop.

But it should not be so tight that it cuts off blood flow. You should keep your splint on unless your doctor tells you that you can take it off. Each time you take it off, it can lengthen your recovery time. If your skin is white when you take off your splint, it may be too tight.

Self-care at Home. Be careful when you take off your splint to clean it. Keep your finger straight the whole time the splint is off. Letting your fingertip droop or bend may mean you will have to wear your splint even longer.

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In this type of injury, the tendon may become torn or detached from the finger bone. Mallet finger is a common injury. It can affect any of the fingers in your hand. Most mallet finger injuries affect the dominant hand. Mallet finger is also called drop finger.

In sports, any direct hit to your extended fingers from a baseball or football, basketball, or volleyball can rupture the tendon that straightens the tip of your finger. This is known as the extensor tendon. Other direct impacts, even those of lesser force, can have the same effect. A tendon is like a rope made up of collagen protein fibers that attach your muscles to your bones. An impact injury to the finger may tear only the soft tissue of the tendon. Or it may pull the tendon away from the fingertip bone distal phalange.

Sometimes a fragment of bone will pull away with the tendon. Mallet finger occurs most often among young men in sports activities. In children, the injury occurs more often from a direct shock, like crushing a finger in a door.

Although a hard blow to the tendon is the cause of most mallet finger injuries, sometimes a minor force can injure the tendon. Injuries caused by a low impact occur more often in older women, during activities such as putting on socks or making a bed. Your finger may feel painful after the injury, and your finger tip will droop. Pain is often associated with a bone fracture. If your nail is also injured and is detached from the nail bed or has blood under it, it may be a sign of a cut or a bone fracture.

Your doctor will be able to diagnose mallet finger by examining your dropped fingertip. They may order an X-ray and possibly an MRI or ultrasound to see the extent of the injury to your tendon and bone. An X-ray will show the rupture of the tendon, any bone fracture, and whether the bone is out of alignment.

The ultrasound and MRI are more sensitive in imaging bone fragments that may be involved. Mallet finger injuries are usually treated without surgery, unless the injury is chronic. But even delayed treatment with splinting can be successful.