Bony mallet finger without epiphyseal plate injury in childhood

INTRODUCTION: It is commonly thought that Salter–Harris type I or II appears in mallet fingers in childhood, with S–H type III appearing in adolescence. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We present a case of bony mallet finger in childhood. Radiographs showed a small fragment above the distal interphalangeal joint, and this fragment was separated from the dorsal epiphysis without injury to the epiphyseal plate. Open reduction and fixation were performed and bone union was achieved without complications. DISCUSSION: Bony mallet finger in childhood manifests as S–H types I, II, and III in typical cases. However, it depends on narrowing of the epiphysis and the strength of the axial forces on the tip of the distal phalanx. In the case of epiphysis narrowing and only small forces affecting the region, an avulsion fracture without injury to the epiphyseal plate will occur in rare cases. CONCLUSION: We presented here a rare case of a bony mallet finger in childhood without epiphyseal plate injury.