A jersey finger is an injury involving one of the tendons in the fingers. In most cases, an individual will end up with a jersey finger while engaging in sports such as rugby or football. A jersey finger can also occur in non-sporting activities but quite common in sports.
A jersey finger is an injury to the flexor tendon of the finger. It is important to note that the flexor tendon is responsible for pulling the finger down into the palm when contracting the flexor muscles of the forearm. The injury occurs at the fingertip and in most cases, the tendon snaps back to the base of the finger or even into the palm of the hand.
Indications of a jersey finger
An individual who sustained a jersey finger might be unable to bend the finger down into the palm of the hand. This is an evident injury as the fingers generally rest in a partially bent position. If the individual sets his/her hand on the tablet at rest, the normal posture of the hand is a position similar to when holding a glass.
The reason is that the tendons flexing and extending the finger are stable. The finger undertakes this partially bent position. Once the flexor tendon is damaged, the finger will straighten out out excessively while at rest. At rest, an individual with jersey finger will notice one finger straightened out unpredictably.
Management of a jersey finger
As stated earlier, the damaged tendon snaps back all the way to the base of the finger or even further. In case the injury requires correction, a surgical procedure is required. The surgery performed involves locating the tendon at the base of the finger or in the palm, thread the tendon via the finger in the correct position and reattaching the tendon securely to the tip of the finger.
The last task is difficult since early movement of the finger is vital for therapy. The attachment should be sufficiently secure to tolerate this movement. In most cases, the tendon is reattached to the bone by drilling small-sized holes into the bone.
Sutures are drawn via the bone and through the fingernail and tied on the rear part of the finger. An alternative is to utilize a metal anchor to secure the sutures in the bone.
Rehabilitation of jersey finger
After surgery, the individual should work with a hand therapist to restore the range of motion of the finger. The flexor tendons have the tendency to stiffen out and end up scarred, thus working with a therapist is vital. Even if hand therapy is performed, the stiffness is not an unusual complication of surgery for a jersey finger.
At the early phase of the therapy, the individual is instructed on specific methods to move the tendons without pulling on the site of the repair. The individual should not return to activity until full healing has occurred, often 4-6 months.