Finger and Thumb Dislocations

Cuts, crush injuries and stretch injuries to the nerves of the hand and arm, causing numbness and weakness. Timing matters because nerves recover slowly and only when repaired early.

Nerve Injuries of the Hand and Arm

A finger or thumb joint knocked out of place, usually by a ball or a fall. Reduced promptly, then protected so the ligaments heal and the joint stays stable.

Finger and Thumb Dislocations

A tear of the cartilage and ligament complex on the small-finger side of the wrist, causing pain with twisting and weight bearing. From a fall or from years of load.

TFCC Tear

Hand differences present from birth, from trigger thumb and extra or joined fingers to underdeveloped thumbs. Evaluated early, treated when it improves function.

Congenital Hand Conditions

Elbow · Hand and Upper Extremity

Complex Upper Extremity Trauma

Severe injuries of the hand, wrist, forearm and elbow: open fractures, crush and saw injuries, combined bone, tendon and nerve damage, and injuries that need reconstruction.

ContactTalk toa real person.

Two clinics, one number to call or text. Same-day appointments for acute injuries whenever we can. The front desk will match you with the right surgeon.

Call801-640-0000

TextSend a text

Provo1055 N 300 W, Ste 104

Orem700 W 800 N, Ste 330

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What it is

Finger and Thumb Dislocations

A dislocation is a joint fully out of place.

In the fingers it tears the ligaments and the volar plate that stabilize the joint. Put back promptly and protected, most heal well. Treated as a sprain, some stay unstable or stiff.The middle joint of the finger is the most commonly dislocated joint in the body.

Treated by

Travis Peterson, DO, Hand and Upper Extremity surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists

Dr. PetersonHand and Upper Extremity

M. Shane Frazier, DO, Hand and Upper Extremity surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists

Dr. FrazierHand and Upper Extremity

Toby Johnson, MD, Hand and Upper Extremity surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists

Dr. JohnsonHand and Upper Extremity

or call801-640-0000

Finger and Thumb Dislocations

Symptoms

A finger that is obviously deformed after a jam or fall, severe pain, inability to move the joint, and swelling.After reduction, persistent swelling and stiffness for weeks.

A dislocation that cannot be reduced needs a hand surgeon the same day.

Common signs

Obviously bent finger

Severe pain

Cannot move the joint

Weeks of swelling after

See us sooner if

Cannot be put back

Numb fingertip

Finger and Thumb Dislocations

Causes

Ball sports, especially basketball, football and volleyball, falls onto the hand, and the thumb being wrenched backward.Some dislocations are reduced on the field and never evaluated, which is how chronic instability starts.

Finger and Thumb Dislocations

How We Diagnose It

X-rays before and after reduction confirm the joint is back in place and check for a fracture.The exam tests stability through the arc of motion.A fracture-dislocation with a large fragment changes the treatment.Common in basketball and football; reduced in clinic and protected while the ligaments heal. Dr. Peterson, Dr. Frazier and Dr. Johnson operate at Utah Valley Hospital and Orem Community Hospital.

Finger and Thumb Dislocations

Treatment Options

Reduction under local anesthesia, then buddy taping or a splint for two to three weeks with early protected motion. Hand therapy restores motion.Dislocations that are unstable after reduction, that cannot be reduced, or that involve a large fracture fragment are treated surgically.

Your options

Non-surgical

Reduction

Buddy tape 2 to 3 weeks

Hand therapy

Surgical

Repair if unstable

Fracture fixation

Wrist Fracture Repair

Trigger Finger Release

Finger and Thumb Dislocations

Procedures That Address It

Wrist Fracture Repair

Trigger Finger Release

Finger and Thumb Dislocations

Surgeons Who Treat It

Dr. Peterson, DO

Hand surgery fellowship at UMass Chan. Office-based, wide-awake carpal tunnel release. Fifteen years in practice. Speaks German.

Dr. Frazier, DO

Fellowship trained in hand and upper extremity surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. Seventeen years in practice. Fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Johnson, MD

Weill Cornell graduate, hand fellowship at Allegheny General. Twenty-one years in practice and seventeen as a collegiate team physician.

or call801-640-0000

ContactTalk toa real person.

Two clinics, one number to call or text. Same-day appointments for acute injuries whenever we can. The front desk will match you with the right surgeon.

Call801-640-0000

TextSend a text

Provo1055 N 300 W, Ste 104

Orem700 W 800 N, Ste 330