BASEBALL FINGER

By: Zachary Bonds and John Johnson

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All about itBaseball finger, also known as mallet finger, is a finger injury which involves damage to

the extensor tendons used to straighten the finger. In a patient with baseball finger,

the finger is bent and cannot be straightened. The classic cause of this injury is a “jam,” in which the fingers forcibly bent

by being slammed into something, or by having something such as a baseball slam

into it. This condition is very treatable.

How Does This Occur?Mallet finger occurs wen something hits the tip of your finger

with a lot of force.Wen this happens the tip of your finger gets bent in by your

tendons.the usual cause is an injury to the end of the finger. The injury tears the tendon that straightens (extends) the end of the finger.It is sometimes called baseball finger, as it is a common injury when trying to catch a fast, hard ball. If the catch is missed slightly then the ball hits the straight finger. This may force the end of the finger to bend (flex) further than normal and tear the tendon. Without the use of this tendon, the finger stays bent (flexed).

For first aid treatment you can ice the finger and put a splint on it. For pain you can take a ibeprophen or Tylenol. If it don’t get better than go to a doctor

First aid

 A splint worn day and night for 6-8 weeks will cure the problem in most cases.

Recovery

Surgery is needed to repair the torn tendon if the above fails. (Surgery may be advised straightaway if there is an open wound, but most injuries that cause mallet finger do not cut the skin.)It may take several months for your finger to regain function properly at the end. Any redness, swelling and tenderness of your skin over the end of your finger may persist for the first few months after the injury. These symptoms will usually improve eventually.

Rehab

You will need to were a splent for 6 to 8 weeks.