Tynor mallet finger splint: what should you know?

Mallet finger occurs when the tendon that straightens the end joint of a finger is injured. The fingertip may droop and may not actively straighten, often after a ball or other object strikes it. A small piece of bone can sometimes be involved, so the finger should be examined rather than treated by appearance alone.

A splint works by keeping the end joint extended so the healing tendon is not repeatedly pulled apart. The fit matters: it should support the fingertip without cutting into the skin or blocking circulation. The middle finger joint should remain free to move unless a clinician gives different instructions.

Wear the splint exactly as directed and keep the fingertip straight whenever the splint is removed for cleaning. Support the finger on a flat surface during cleaning, dry the skin fully, and replace the splint without allowing the fingertip to bend. Check for rubbing, pressure marks, numbness, colour change, or increasing pain.

Do not alter the splint or stop using it because the finger looks better without asking the treating clinician. Keep the hand protected from knocks, and attend follow-up so the tendon, joint alignment, and skin can be checked. Splinting is often the first treatment considered, while tendon repair surgery may be discussed for selected injuries.

Arrange prompt assessment after a new fingertip droop, significant impact, an open wound, or marked swelling. Seek help if the fingertip becomes blue, cold, numb, increasingly painful, or difficult to position in the splint. Contact the clinic if the splint breaks, repeatedly slips, or causes a sore that does not settle.

Ask whether the tendon, bone, or both are injured, how continuously the splint must be worn, and how to clean the finger without bending the end joint. Ask when motion exercises begin and what findings would make tendon repair surgery worth discussing.