Mallet Binger
Alternate Terms:- Baseball Finger
Mallet finger (also called baseball finger or drop finger) is a bent fingertip that cannot be straightened. It is caused by a ruptured tendon at the base of the finger joint near the fingertip that occurs when a finger is bent with force, such as when trying to catch a ball and the fingertip is struck by the ball.
Symptoms of mallet finger include a:
- Bent fingertip that cannot be straightened.
- Painful and swollen fingertip.
Treatment includes splinting the injured finger in a straight position for several weeks.
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine |
| Last Updated: November 13, 2008 | |
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