How long will it take to heal?

Your mallet finger should heal within6 to 12weeks, after which time you'll be able to use the finger again. You may be advised to continue to only wear the splint at night for up to four more weeks.

Sometimes you only need to see a specialist once, as a hand physiotherapist can take over your care. They'll provide you with exercises to perform at home to help prevent stiffness in the finger.

Depending on your job, you may require time off work. It's important to avoid any sports involving the hands whileyour injury ishealing.

It may take several months to regain full function. Redness, swelling, and tenderness of the skin around the end of the finger are common for three or four months after injury, but usually settle eventually.

Fractures involving the joint of the finger alsoincrease the risk of arthritis in the future.

You may be left with asmall bump on the top of the joint and a slight loss of ability to straighten the joint it never really goes completely back to normal. However,the finger should generally function well.