Emergency and Urgent Care - Mallet Finger Injury

Introduction

A mallet finger is an injury to the end of the finger.

The tendon connecting the muscle to your bone has snapped or stretched which means you will not be able to straighten the tip of your finger (see image below).

In some cases, the tendon can pull of a small fragment of bone. Your finger will also be painful and swollen.

This leaflet will provide information on how to care for your injury at home.

Treatment

Your finger will be put in a plastic splint which keeps it straight (see below picture).

A splint will be applied and taped on and should be worn continuously for 8 weeks if the tendon has been injured or 6 weeks if there is a small fracture – you will be advised of this at the time.

At the end of this time the splint should be worn for the next month at night and whenever the finger might be at risk of injury.

It is very important that the end of your finger does not bend during the time it is splinted because it may slow healing and reduce the effectiveness of the overall treatment.

If you are in pain, regular pain relief is advised. Paracetamol and ibuprofen can be bought over the counter and are very effective at reducing localised pain and swelling.

Refer to the patient information leaflet in the medicine boxes for advice of dosage and side effects prior to taking. You may have been prescribed pain relief on your visit, if so take this as prescribed and ensure you read the leaflet before taking.

How to re-apply a mallet finger splint:

You must keep your splinted finger clean and dry at all times.

If the skin beneath the splint becomes wet it will become sore. You may remove your splint to do this, but you must follow the instructions below to avoid the finger bending.

It is important to wash both your finger and your splint once a day.

• Keep your finger flat on a table, cut the strapping and slide the splint off your finger
• Wash and dry your finger and the splint using soap and water
• Keep the end joint straight at all times by keeping your finger flat on the table. It may be easier if someone helps you to do this each day as any movement to the end of your finger may delay the healing process and even possibly cause a permanent deformity
• Dry your finger and the splint well
• Slide the splint back over your fingertip, keeping your finger straight
• Replace the strapping – this should cover the middle of your splint but not cover the middle joint of your finger

Please visit this link on the internet for a video showing the application and how to re-apply neighbour strapping:
https://vimeo.com/488589639/8c96cb8b5d

Recovery time

It may take several months for your finger to become fully functional. Redness, swelling and tenderness of the skin around the end of the finger are common for 3 to 4 months after injury but usually settle eventually.

You may be left with a small bump on the top of the joint and be unable to fully straighten the finger. Your finger may not look exactly the same as it was before the injury but should not affect the function of your finger.

After the splint has stopped being used it is important to keep the finger moving and gradually resume daily activities. This will help improve any stiffness and ensure the safest return to normal function.

Work

If you do not feel capable of going to work due to either pain or reduced movement, you are able to self-certify sickness for 7 days.

You must complete a self-certification form found on the government website and give this to your employer. This entitles you to statutory sick pay from your employer for up to 7 days.

To access the link to the self-certification form please go to:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statutory-sick- pay-employees-statement-of-sickness-sc2

If you feel you need longer than 7 days off work, you must contact your GP for a sick note. We cannot provide sick notes from the Urgent Treatment Centre.
 
If your GP is based within the Rochdale borough they will have received a notification of attendance from us detailing your diagnosis.

Possible complications

Occasionally, after 3 months of splint treatment the tendon may fail to heal.

If the finger is not controllable or you are struggling to get the movement back, please contact the Fracture Line on 0161 778 5372 or Rochdale Urgent Treatment Centre on 01706 517023.