Mallet Fracture eMedicine Sports

Description: The term mallet finger has long been used to describe the deformity produced by disruption of the terminal extensor mechanism at the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint.1, 2, 3 Mallet finger is the most common closed tendon injury that is seen in athletes; this injury is also common in nonathletes after "innocent" trauma. Mallet finger has also been referred to as drop, hammer, or baseball finger (although baseball accounts for only a small percentage of such injuries).
Synonyms and related keywords: baseball finger, drop finger, hammer finger, swan-neck deformity, mallet finger/deformity
Author: Michael E Robinson, MD 2007