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Mallet Finger (Baseball finger)

Patient Positioning

Patient seated in front of the examiner, hand palm up resting on a examination table.

Probe Positioning

Place the transducer on a longitudinal planes over the joints and tendons of interest. Do not use any pressure - especially while looking for effusion or using doppler mode. Use dynamic scanning to check the movement of the tendons during flexion / extension or against resistance to check the pulleys.

Probe Placement Hand
Probe Placement Hand
Note: active extension of the DIJ ist not possible. In passive examination, the tear of the central slip can be seen.

Note: An injury may rupture the tendon or pull the tendon away from the attachment at the distal phalanx. If a small piece of bone is pulled away along with the tendon, it is called an "avulsion injury".