What Is Mallet Finger and How Is It Treated?
By Brian Butzen MD The Basics Mallet finger is an injury to the tip of your finger that causes it to droop downward, making your finger look like a mallet. It happens when the extensor tendon at the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint is damaged—either the tendon itself ruptures, or a small piece of bone gets pulled off where the tendon attaches (called an avulsion fracture). The result? You can't actively straighten your fingertip on your own, leading to a characteristic droop. How Does It...
