Jammed Fingers:
WHEN IS IT TIME TO SEE A DOCTOR?
By Robert S. Eberly, MD and Lance E. LeClere, MD
stopsportsinjuries.org
It has happened to all of us at some
point. You’re playing sports and a ball
glances off the tip of your finger. Or
you reach for something and jam the
tip of your finger. Typically there is a
lot of swelling and discomfort
afterwards. But when is a jammed
finger something more than a sprain
and needs to be evaluated by a
doctor? The finger is a brilliantly
designed machine with tendons
running on both sides that allow you to
flex and extend at each joint. Covering
those tendons is a sheath that allows
smooth movement and pulleys that
keep the tendons where they need to
be for added mechanical advantage.
So when you jam your finger there are
a lot of structures that could be
damaged. Injuries can occur at any of
these structures. Most injuries are soft
tissue injuries that heal well without
surgery or immobilization. However,
there are several symptoms that
should raise your suspicion for a more
serious underlying injury and may
require evaluation:
Is your joint not sitting in a
normal position? If so, you
may have an underlying
dislocation or fracture that needs
to be seen at the emergency
room or urgent care center.
Joints need to be in a normal
anatomic position to prevent
further damage and preserve
function.
Can you flex and extend
through each of your finger
joints? If not, you may have an
injury to either one of the flexor
tendons, extensor tendons, or
bones that they attach to. This
needs to be evaluated on an
urgent basis as well, as the
sooner it can be evaluated and
repaired the better chance of
avoiding a loss of function.
Barring any of the above symptoms,
jammed fingers should reliably
improve over the course of a few days
with rest, icing for swelling, and antiinflammatories for pain control.
Depending on the location of the injury
and the structure injured, your finger
may need to be immobilized for a
period of time. Immobilization can
include taping the injured finger to an
adjacent finger, a splint for the end of
the injured finger to keep the joint
extended, or a cast that extends to the
forearm. Periods of immobilization
vary depending on the structure
injured. Prompt assessment and
treatment are the keys to ensuring
that serious injuries do not result in
any disability and maximize the
opportunity for a full return of
function.