Dislocated finger ......

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Miszeemare

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Hi I'm new on here but have been lurking for a while :)

Managed to dislocate my ring finger on my left hand last Thursday following an argument with a gate. Got an appointment with the Fracture Clinic tomorrow and have been told not to ride for the forseeable - quite a bad dislocation so possible tendon and ligament damage (not to mention damage to wedding ring :D). Been scaring myself silly reading stuff online with some people saying they have been unable to make a fist 6 months down the line, unable to properly straighten or bend finger, so just wondered if anyone has suffered a similar injury and how long before they rode again.

Thanks
 
i popped my thumb out whilst riding, popped it back in,carried on riding, rode anoither 3 horses. Strapped it up the next day and mucked out 15 and rode probably 5 and did the same as usual. It hurt when i wrenched it anytime but so long as it was strapped up i couldnt do it. Probably took a couple weeks to 'fix', the swelling on the joint took a lot longer but wasnt painfull by then so didnt matter. There sint anything you can do with a dislocation (so long as it has gone back in) other than strap it up and try not to wrench it. If its strapped, i cant see how you can hurt it again by riding?
 
Thanks for replying. Not sure that I could have popped this back (finger snapped backwards - everyone recoiling in horror :D), 3 injections of local and gas and air required to reset plus x-rays before and after. Just concerned as chap who reset it said it could be very unstable for a while (he originally thought it was fractured as well due to state/bend of finger) hence no riding.
 
i got mine pulled out and it bent to the side at a 90 degree angle. got it strapped up for two weeks and was back riding after that. unfortunately i broke my arm two weeks later so couldnt do proper physio on it! its still a good bit crooked and doesn't bend completely to a fist. the knuckle is alo much bigger now and my wedding ring is WAYY too small now to fit back on.

it didnt affect me hugely riding although i def can't close my fingers around the reins as much as i could or close my fingers as quickly, so i have worries it might affect me cross country or hunting.
 
I did my thumb (fracture, dislocate and tore muscles/and ligaments) and as cuppatea I continued riding afterwards. I di it plying basketball the night before a big match - it was bent right backwards and had a sickening snap and pop! Showjumped 4 ponies SJAI the next day (as i couldnt play the match!) It did stop me writing for 4months, I missed the rest of the season basketball (and of course they won the national cap and championships in my absence - doh!) but i continued to ride and hunt as I didnt technically "need" my thumb for that. I did have issues where my thumb would lock in a flexed position but by about 2years post injury that had ceased entirely. According to the orthopaedic surgeon that was due to a knot on the damaged muscle getting trapped everyso often. happened every time I flexed it at first, then by about 6mths after iit happened maybe once or twie a day. At that atge i was offered surgery to correct it but I figured it wasnt happening so often as to be a major hindrance.
I strapped it up and it took about 4weeks for the farcture and dislocation to recover but much longer for the ligamnets/tendons etc.I am now practically ambidextrous and favour my left hand for everything but writing (eg playing tennis, scanning horses, calving cows, even holding a bag over my shoulder - all now left handed).
 
I popped my third finger trying to get dog slobber off my leather sofas (typical). Popped it back myself and its fine now but has a definite 'lump in the middle. I don't think you use third finger that often so suspect its had a good rest.
 
i dislocated my middle finger about 2 years ago, horse spooked and knot in rope slid through hand and knocked finger sideways. i put it back in and strapped it to next finger with vetwrap as i knew it would be unstable for a while. I was at doc for something else ages after and as it was still a bit sore and a bit mishapen i mentioned it. He reckoned that i broke it as well as dislocating and reckoned i needed an x ray and possibly to have it reset...yeah right :D It still isn't right and can't make a proper fist and hurts a bit and feels stiff when i bend it.
moral of the story, never have a knot in a lead rope!!
 
Yep broken finger on my right hand which is the one I use, dog broke it, plaster 2 weeks which was the worst part, difficulty mucking out with out getting straw hay or shavings down the plaster(they seem to think you do nowt), finger a little stiff and sore after plaster, but after that mainly no probs, but I am in my early 60's, just a little stiff when trying to curl my fist.:):)
 
Dislocated 2nd finger on left hand. Doctor at A&E put it back and strapped it and was still able t o ride with lots of padding. It healed fine although the knuckle is a bit bigger. Some years later I dislocated 3rd finger on right hand, but was able to put it back. This one healed with the finger rather bent and I cannot ride with rein in the normal position, or it is painful, even 4 years later. What I should have done, is get a referral to the Hand Clinic at Frenchay Hospital. But too late now. If ligaments are damaged you need the guidance and physio at the start - not when you have decided it doesn't look right.
 
Thanks everyone.

Been to the Fracture Clinic this morning, no riding for 6 weeks due to damage to ligaments and tendons and it is still very unstable (being the third finger doesn't help with the riding situation). It was quite a bad dislocation :(, it is still very painful and swollen and I have been given a more flexible strapping to wear so I can keep it moving whilst supporting it, got to keep trying to make a fist with it. I have been warned it probably won't go back to completely normal. Hey ho.....
 
I did something to my middle finger when pony jerked back while I was snapping a lead rope onto halter. In typical horseowner fashion I swore a bit and kept on going, icing it later. Two months later it wasn't right, still red and swolen so I went to my doctor. Nothing showed on x rays so they gave me a splint and told me to come back in a month.
Two months later it still wasn't right so I requested a consult with a hand specialist, the only one in town. He was on vacation so it took another month to get an appointment. Another set of Xrays and an MRI didn't show anything significant. By now however it was hyper extended and it was still dislocating so they sent me to PT. A few weeks of that didn't help either so they decided to operate.

Surgeon found that I had torn the volar plate. He tried for almost two hours but could not stabilize the joint without pinning it. I have about 45 degrees of motion in the DIP and 10 in the PIP, luckily on my non dominant left hand. It doesn't affect my riding though it might be harder with my ring finger. I do drop things however.

Even looking at the pre surgery films and knowing what to look for he still couldn't see the break after the surgery.

Don't do that!
 
My daughter fractured and dislocated her 3rd finger. We were told 6 weeks no riding but by 2 weeks she was back on a horse with no pain/any other problems later on!
Good luck :)
 
Miszeemare said:
Thanks everyone.

Been to the Fracture Clinic this morning, no riding for 6 weeks due to damage to ligaments and tendons and it is still very unstable (being the third finger doesn't help with the riding situation). It was quite a bad dislocation :(, it is still very painful and swollen and I have been given a more flexible strapping to wear so I can keep it moving whilst supporting it, got to keep trying to make a fist with it. I have been warned it probably won't go back to completely normal. Hey ho.....
Click to expand...

I did this 18 months ago, should have gone to A&E immediately as it wasn't just a dislocation, but the tendon over the middle knuckle had split (called Butonniaire Injury). The finger is not as straight as it was and the knuckle is big, I've gone from a size M to a size Q and its my wedding finger :O I'm just about considering having my rings enlarged as I think this is as good as it gets. If your finger won't straighten, keep nagging for help, the more treatment (physio) you get in the first 3 weeks the better the outcome.

Good luck
 
I had a dislocation,and a torn volar plate,and the bottom joint(closest to my finger tip) also had ligament injury.
The surgeons operated and mended the bottom joint,but at the time didnt realise i had dislocated my finger...how i dont know, as it was very bent.
6 months down the line after much pain,and maoning from me,i had an mri and they found a dislocation and torn volar plate.I went in for surgery again,and they removed the volar plate and re build the joint and stabilised the ligaments around the area.I was splinted and had physio for months,but still managed to ride,hunt etc.
The third and final operation was to remove my finger,as the damage had been too long to put right,so now only have 9 fingers left,and a very confused toddler!!!!:confused:
 
I have dislocated my little finger backwards and now my finger can't close completely and the knuckle is bigger than it was the finger as a whole isn't straight. But does a job.
When I broke my third finger was at the third fence during x-country (horse skidded into fence then came back and up to take off) got a bloody nose too, anyway as we had cleared it I continued the course and put my rein around my little finger and held it away from the broken one, same route as the top rein of a double bridle. I have ever since adopted this method of running my reins through different fingers to avoid injured ones but not recommended if your horse is a head shaker or in fact if your horse does not have a light steady head carriage. :D
 
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