Dawaa Reference

Clinical reference

Mallet finger

Treatment options, dosing, cautions and Egyptian brands from the shipped Dawaa Reference card.

Evidence status

Checked against the sources named below

Sources3 sources

ICPC-3 (WONCA International Classification of Primary Care, 3rd edition) class LD71.03 - condition scope only, no dose · Mallet Finger Injuries - StatPearls - NCBI Bookshelf - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459373/ · No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care

Verified against1 document
  • No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care

Verified date2026-08

Presentation reference

Is it this?

Reference only, to read alongside your own examination.

Symptoms — what the patient reports (2)

  • A direct blow to the fingertip that forces it into flexion is the typical injury described
  • Pain and a visible deformity at the last finger joint are reported after the injury [visible deformity]

Signs — what you find (4)

  • The fingertip rests bent 30 to 45 degrees at the last joint and cannot be actively straightened
  • The patient cannot actively extend the fingertip at the DIP joint
  • Swelling and tenderness over the back of the last joint is typical in acute injury but may be minimal later
  • In chronic cases tenderness may be minimal, but a persistent extensor lag remains evident

Tests (4)

  • A 3-view x-ray series (front, oblique, and true lateral) is recommended to assess the joint
  • Plain films are usually normal in tendinous mallet finger because no bone avulsion is present
  • A bony mallet fracture shows an avulsion fragment at the dorsal base of the fingertip bone
  • Volar subluxation of the fingertip bone on the true lateral x-ray can signal joint instability and change treatment

If not this — what else fits (6)

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Phalangeal fractures, acute or malunited
  • Seymour fracture
  • Swan neck deformity
  • Metacarpophalangeal joint injuries
  • An open wound over the extensor tendon near the last knuckle is also on the differential

SourceStatPearls "Mallet Finger Injuries" - disease-level clinical article

Presentation findings are traced to the source above.

1

NO DRUG THERAPY IN PRIMARY CARE (REFERRAL & ADVICE)

1st line
Adult dose and duration

Extensor tendon injury at the fingertip joint, usually from a direct blow (e.g. a ball hitting an outstretched finger), causing a droopy fingertip; treated with a continuous extension splint, with referral if there is a large bony fragment or the joint is subluxed. - Refer, with advice

Paediatric dose

Children follow the same pathway: recognise and refer. No primary-care medicine is implied.

Dose source

No dose - referral pathway, no medicine given in primary care

Why

Extensor tendon injury at the fingertip joint, usually from a direct blow (e.g. a ball hitting an outstretched finger), causing a droopy fingertip; treated with a continuous extension splint, with referral if there is a large bony fragment or the joint is subluxed.

Cautions
  • Large bony avulsion fragment on imaging, joint subluxation, or failed conservative splinting — these need surgical referral.
  • No medicine is prescribed for this in primary care - this entry is for recognition and referral. Anything given is decided by the service it is referred to.

Prices are indicative (dataset snapshot 2026-06); verify with the pharmacy.