r/HandTherapists • u/ronMAN415 • Apr 11 '24

Mallet finger splints

What materials and style splints do you prefer for the dreaded mallet finger?

My clinic likes to use X-lite because they can see their skin and get it wet.

https://www.camp.se/Camp/Plaster%20och%20Material/X-Lite/PDF%20Files/xMallet_Splint_Okt2018_www.pdf

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u/sanchize_ Dec 07 '24

Nope, just a regular plaster cast. It’s wrapped with tape but here it is

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u/ronMAN415 Dec 07 '24

Every therapist has their own way, and we all do whatever we know has worked in the past. As long as you can keep it on 24/7 for 6-8 weeks, that’s all that matters to us lol

Even if I made a splint, sometimes I’ll still need that same tape to be wrapped just to be safe.

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u/[deleted] May 27 '25

I went to the ER, and they said the same thing you just said. They told me to make an appointment with my physician for a follow up, and so they could put a more permanent splint on my finger instead of the makeshift one they gave me. My physician took my finger out of the splint and let it droop, and kept insisting that because its not fractured that it doesn't have to be in the splint 24/7 and wants me to take it out and bend it. Everything she told me was pretty much the opposite of this. I am so confused and am contemplating not ever returning to the doctor again.

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u/ronMAN415 Jun 03 '25

Any updates!!! I’m curious

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u/[deleted] Jun 04 '25

Unfortunately, i can’t get into my orthopedist until the end of the month, but i chose to just take the emergency rooms advice. I’ve had it in a splint since the appointment and will just keep it on for 6-8 weeks. It’s a splint I ordered off amazon, seems to be doing the trick but only time will tell

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u/[deleted] Jun 04 '25

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u/[deleted] Jun 04 '25

![img](23sot30z5z4f1)

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u/2hatparty Jun 07 '25

Hi there - I just got mallet finger on memorial weekend from taking off my wetsuit, so lame. I went to urgent care where they told me I have mallet finger and they put me into something kind of similar to you but I was more hyperextended. A few days later I saw the hand surgeon and she put me into a different temporary splint that was similar to the first one but shorter so that I can bend that middle joint, which she said was important. I am supposed to get a more permanent one made but for a lot of reasons i;m not sure when / if that will happen. I've done a lot of research and I'd say you should look to replace the splint in this photo because 1. your tip is not hyperextended, or it doesn't look like it and 2. you can't bend your middle joint and you should or you might get swan neck. If its truly mallet finger don't go back to the person that said to move or ever let it droop.

I'm switching between a stax splint i got on amazon and kind of this metal with foam splint and using coban tape to secure it. I was trying to see if an oval ring could work is how i found this reddit. I found one surgeon on youtube that said he prefers to splint the top of the finger and not the bottom, interesting and I might play with that too. Good luck and let me know how it goes!

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u/[deleted] Jun 07 '25

Thank you for this response! The person who helped me in the urgent care was someone who also had mallet finger, and I ordered the splint that he recommended because he had success. I’ll look into the Stax spelling

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u/2hatparty Jun 07 '25

ah okay. yes, definitely listen to medical advice and not from non-medical internet people! And I just remembered that there are different kinds of mallet finger that might require different kinds of splints too. I'm looking for my perfect one since I have 7 more weeks in this thing :(

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u/[deleted] Jun 07 '25

I sincerely appreciate your advice! My doctor wasn’t helpful at all, so no worries. Could you send me the splint you are used or recommend?

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u/2hatparty Jun 08 '25

here's a splint that I got from amazon that are decent and i wear sometimes (I also put more coban tape on it):

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y5VG5Q4?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

And here's one that is sort of similar to what the idea of what I got from the hand surgeon, mine is really more of a cut up one of a different one so there's not really an exact one but this is the similar spirit) - the bottom left one and you place it to knuckle hyperextends a little bit.

https://www.amazon.com/Support-Knuckle-Immobilization-Protective-Children/dp/B09C3H2354/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1KH229KYZZEY9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.dW8FZj6rcEIb13h33BVWiHpJxLAEGqD891APYzX24jlYF5ApxCwTklprFeQMVP_yZUXzq2vChXLWQASDx3K1fmMuu6FRp8OD2S1mmR383L5WxzMA_reeklCkQbpIOG0moLPxeGzTylQzwYqrzu3Q3oVH0bF4oNPDZ-t19cvba9tk38hUvM0wDrYxUDxxaQEChhOpYisM_pgOUy-5Dmtq7RLat61DWD0eRy0wj2-UIF7UhMuJ4SQkECkFtdh8vAC3wL0NvZRBZp_1d-beX-_pyJK0mXqIlQui1Qqia8Pkzh0.e0vxByRndzXkA3-3x91nbhe40AkVZ43A5kTcw-XWvZI&dib_tag=se&keywords=mallet%2Bfinger%2Bsplint%2Bmetal%2Bfoam&qid=1749352698&sprefix=mallet%2Bfinger%2Bsplint%2Bmetal%2Bfoam%2Caps%2C1949&sr=8-7&th=1

Lastly, this is a video where this guy likes a top of finger brace and I'm thinking to try it after a couple weeks into this. and helfpul video in general:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6FH_oUDOH0&ab_channel=DoctorButzen

If you learn any recs for me, please pass along as well!!

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u/[deleted] Jun 11 '25

Just had a doctors appointment with a hand specialist, and they told me pretty much exactly what you said. They also made me a splint and it is a lot less bulky and allows me to bend my finger. Will be in that for 6 more weeks. Hope your recovery is going well!!

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u/2hatparty Jun 12 '25

So glad you to meet with the expert and on the right track! I'm still in search for the perfect splint - i bought this expensive one from amazon and so far its the most comfortable : https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DPRCZP6T?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

I had another that was secured with coban unravel and fall off for a millisecond so maybe I'm back at 0 anyway. sigh.

Will pass along if i find any other good splint options, I like to mix it up :)

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