Mallet Finger Physiotherapy in Johor
A mallet finger is an injury where the tendon that straightens the tip of a finger (the extensor tendon at the distal interphalangeal joint) ruptures, or pulls off a small bone fragment.
The fingertip droops and the patient cannot actively straighten it - they can push it straight passively with the other hand, but it drops the moment they let go.
Typical mechanism: a ball catches the fingertip end-on, a sheet of bed linen catches the tip unexpectedly, or a finger jams against a moving object.
Why it's a 24-hour splint, not a "wear it at night" splint
The extensor tendon needs the DIP joint held in full extension, continuously, for 6–8 weeks to heal.
The word continuous does the heavy lifting.
If the joint bends even once during a skin check or splint change - even accidentally - the clock resets.
The single most common cause of failed treatment in our clinic is patients who took the splint off to shower for a minute on week 3.
What physio actually does
We fabricate a custom stack splint or fit a suitable prefabricated one, teach the two-finger "splint swap" technique for skin hygiene (one finger of the other hand holds the DIP extended while the splint is off for five seconds), and track compliance weekly.
X-rays are worthwhile to identify bony mallet with a large fragment or joint subluxation - those may need surgical fixation rather than splinting.
After splint-off at week 6–8, a staged rehab reintroduces DIP flexion range over 3–4 weeks so the newly-healed tendon doesn't re-rupture.
Cost and Johor context
RM120-250 per session. Course: initial splint fitting plus 4–6 weekly reviews, then a short rehab block. We see mallet fingers regularly in badminton, volleyball and basketball players at JB halls; in futsal goalkeepers; and from household injuries tucking in bedsheets or catching falling laundry racks.
How PhysioJohor matches you
WhatsApp us: which finger, how it happened, how long ago, whether an X-ray has been taken, and whether you have a splint yet.