Fingertip Avulsion, Superficial

Presentation

A patient arrives holding a bandage over a missing fingertip. The patient may or may not have brought along the avulsed tissue.

Traumatic finger pad injuries are common. The mechanisms of injury can be diverse: A knife, a meat slicer, a mandolin, a closing door, broken glass, spinning fan blades, and turning gears are a few examples. Depending on the angle of the amputation, varying degrees of tissue loss will occur from the volar pad or the finger tip.