Mallet Finger (Archived)

Mallet finger injuries are commonly encountered in everyday clinical practice. Mallet, which means hammer, was the term used to describe the hammer-like deformity that occurred in sports-related injuries in the 1800s. As some individuals do not see the hammer resemblance, some have proposed changing the name to drop the word "finger" due to its appearance. It is also known as "baseball" finger. Although it is the most common closed tendon injury seen in athletes as a result of high velocity and contact sports, it also can be the result of a relatively minor trauma such as doing household chores (tucking in a shirt, tucking in sheets) or work-related activities. Though some athletes and coaches often believe mallet injuries to be minor, each case should have a systematic evaluation performed.