Health Guide©

BASKETBALL FINGER

(Baseball finger, Mallet finger, Sports injuries)

This is a common injury to the finger in the basketball players (hence its name). However, it can also occur among people, who engage in other sports e.g., martial arts, football, and volleyball.

Symptoms:

• Sudden onset of pain and swelling of the affected finger.
• The fingertip is bent and there is difficulty and pain in trying to extend it.

Complications:

Basketball finger occurs when there is a sudden tear of the tendon of the finger with or without fracture of the bone. There maybe permanent deformity in the form of a bent finger tips if the injury is not treated properly.

Causes:

This condition is caused by a heavy blow to the end of the finger which forces the extended finger to bend forward suddenly as its tip. This may result in tearing of the tendon on the back of the finger or, in some case, the tendon does not tear but instead pulls off a fragment of the bone.

What you can do:

Consult a doctor immediately. X-ray is required to exclude fractures of the bone. There maybe permanent deformity of a bent finger tips if then injury is not treated properly.

Prevention Tip:

• Proper warm up and stretching program is a mandatory before any sports or exercise.
• Wear protective hand gears for the appropriate sports, e.g., boxing gloves for martial arts training and gloves for goalkeepers in football.
• For those with 'lax ligaments" of the fingers, avoid high impact contact sports.