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A teen who plays on the high school varsity basketball team comes in after jamming her finger during a game. She has a distal phalanx simple dislocation without fracture.
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March 10, 2021 at 1:52 am
D) After reduction of a dorsal dislocation, the finger should be splinted in slight flexion for 2-3 weeks to avoid a stiff joint
Simple finger dislocations often occur in sports after a “jammed” finger; common sports include basketball and volleyball. Dorsal DIP dislocation is much more common than volar. EP’s can easily perform reduction of simple finger dislocations. (In fact, athletes or trainers often self-reduce these injuries, and patients may present late with complications or associated fractures that went unrecognized initially). Reduction is by longitudinal traction while exerting volar-directed pressure on the distal phalanx base. If it is irreducible, this may indicate volar plate entrapment in the joint space, and orthopedics should be consulted. After reduction, the finger should be splinted in slight flexion for 2-3 weeks for healing, but early mobility is important to avoid a stiff joint. After a volar DIP dislocation reduction, the finger should be splinted in slight hyperextension for 6 weeks to avoid a mallet finger.