Smashed Index Finger

I took a puck off of my right index finger and didn't really notice any immediate pain. Over the next couple days I noticed that I couldn't form a fist because my finger was very swollen and hurt to bend that far. Upon further observation I noticed that my first finger knuckle had become very wide, but the rest of my finger remained regular size. It is also very sensitive to touch. This injury happened about a month ago, and I left it assuming it would just heal itself as most injuries seem to. It has not gotten any better or worse in the last month, but it is still painful to make a fist and is still sensitive.

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Well, without an evaluation it would be difficult to determine the cause of your symptoms. Possibilities may include fractures, dislocation/ subluxation, injuries to the tendon/ ligament/ nerve, infections, inflammations etc. It would be best to get this evaluated by a primary care physician or an orthopedician for an accurate diagnosis and appropriate management.
Hope this helps.

Take care!