Conservative treatment of fingertip injuries

Abstract

In a prospective investigation of 81 consecutive patients with fingertip injuries conservative treatment was evaluated. Fingertip injuries were defined as lesions ⩾ 1 cm 2 in the terminal phalanx without injury to the tendons or joints. All fingertip injuries were cleaned and covered by Vaseline gauze and left to heal. If less than 2 mm of soft tissue covered the bone a few millimetres of bone were nibbled away to allow good cover with soft tissue. The majority of injuries (64 per cent) occurred at work. The average healing time was 25 days. The main later complaints were intolerance of cold (36 per cent), numbness (36 per cent) and tenderness (26 per cent). None of the patients had stiff joints. On average, the two-point discrimination had increased by 1 mm in the injured fingertip. Conservative treatment is recommended as a safe and simple treatment of fingertip injuries, even when bone is exposed in the wound.