A 16 year old boy was an active member of his local GAA football team. During the semi-final he jumped to catch the ball but it bounced off the tip of his right index finger causing the end joint to bend down forcibly. When he took off his gloves he was unable to straighten the tip of his index finger which was very painful and swollen. He was unable to play the remainder of the match and watched and supported from the side lines as his team won.
He attended A&E after the match where he was told he had no fracture but had torn the tendon away from the bone meaning he would have to wear a standard A&E, off the shelf, metal and foam splint for 6 weeks to keep his entire finger straight. He was devastated as it would mean he would not be allowed to play in the final. On top of that he was preparing for GCSE exams and would be unable to write if wearing a bulky splint.
He attended Hand Kinetics three days after the accident. The hand therapist removed the bulky splint fitted at A&E and made a small thermoplastic gutter splint instead to support and immobilise the affected joint only. The therapist explained the type of injury is called
Mallet finger and showed him how to correctly tape his finger himself to be able to play football safely for the duration of the final match 4 weeks later.
In addition to this, the therapist modified a pen grip so it was possible for him to write while wearing his new, much smaller splint. The boy played in the final and completed his exams alongside his classmates without any fuss or unnecessary attention.
After 6 weeks he returned to the outpatient Orthopaedic clinic in the hospital and was discharged. He continued to attend Hand Kinetics however for rehabilitation of the muscles involved for 2 more weeks and once full movement was regained the boy could resume all normal activities without any finger supports.
