Mallet Finger

You may have heard of Hammer Toe but have you heard of Mallet Finger?  Me neither until yesterday when I gave myself one!  I was at work in the ICU helping some nurses change a patient and give him new bedding.  I was pulling the fitted sheet down over the mattress (if you work in a hospital you will know how tight these can be) and I guess I pulled really hard and felt a pop in my middle right finger top nuckle.  I thought I must have just really popped my nuckle but it sorta hurt but I went about working.  I left the patient's room, took off my gloves to wash my hands and the top of the middle finger was at a 90 degree angle from the rest of the finger - wierd.  I figured maybe I sprained it or it just was jammed but I could not straighten it out at all!  So I tried to keep working but it started to hurt more and swell and I showed a few nurses and they said it did not look so good so we decided to file an incident report and send me down to the ER. 

Well when you are a hospital employee you get the VIP treatment and fast service! So I got a room in the ER (sorry anyone that was waiting) and they took X-rays and it luckily was not broken - that was the initial concern.  So what happened is I dislocated/damaged the tendon that runs down from the top of the finger and that is why it will not straighten out.  I get to wear this annoying finger splint and follow up with some hand doctors next week.  I was supposed to work today but couldn't and thankfully I do not go back until next Thursday if I get cleared by Employee Health.   It's all covered under Workman's comp but totally a silly thing to have happen after a month on the job!