A small accident can be enough and the finger is dislocated. This happens rarely in some people, much more often in others. Read below about the symptoms, causes and treatment of a dislocated finger.

PIP joint

Every finger or toe except the thumb and the big toe has the PIP joint. You can divide all your fingers except the thumb into three parts, because you have 2 hinges if you don’t count your knuckles. Your PIP joint is located between the middle and bottom parts of your finger. This PIP joint can dislocate and we then speak of a dislocated finger. There are three ways the PIP joint dislocates.

• Towards the palm side of the hand.
• Towards the back of the hand.
• To one of the sides of the hand.

It is rare for the finger to dislocate to the palm side of the hand.If a finger comes out of its socket, the finger can be damaged. The ligaments and capsule of the joint can tear or stretch too far.

Cause

The cause of a dislocated finger is that the finger makes a movement that it cannot actually make in that position. This is the case, for example, when an extended finger is pressed to the back of the hand. This movement feels unnatural and puts pressure on the PIP joint. However, in the event of an accident, this overextension can occur severely, causing damage to the PIP joint.

Treatment with splint

Before treatment can be started, a diagnosis must first be made by the treating physician. This diagnosis is almost always supported by an X-ray. The damage to the bone fragment can be determined from this X-ray. This determines the method of treatment. A splint is often used for a dislocated finger. The type of splint depends on how the finger is dislocated. After the treatment, physiotherapy usually follows. The pain in the finger can be present for a long time, so physiotherapy is mainly aimed at reducing this pain. In addition, physiotherapy ensures that coordination and strength in the finger returns.

Operation

Sometimes a splint alone is not enough and surgical intervention is also necessary. This is the case if the ligaments and joint capsule of the finger are seriously damaged. After the operation the finger will feel stiff. Your finger seems to have less range than before. This is done deliberately, because your finger becomes more flexible during rehabilitation and would otherwise have too much reach. After the operation, you will be fitted with a splint. After about a year, all complaints should disappear completely. This could of course also be the case much earlier.