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ORA’s Dr. Jonathan Winston says injuries like Ring Avulsions are rare, but when they occur, they are serious injuries that frequently lead to amputation.
What is a ring avulsion?
Just ask Late Night talk show host Jimmy Fallon. He’ll tell you all about what happens when a small stumble can turn into a frighteningly painful and serious finger injury.
In Fallon’s case, he tripped on a rug, which caused his hand to fly away from his body and his wedding ring caught on the corner of a counter. His audience heard his story, but it is not for the faint of heart:
The injury is called a “ring avulsion.”
An injury that could lead to amputation
ORA Orthopedics Hand Surgeon Dr. Jonathan Winston says it’s rare but violent. “A ring avulsion is an injury to one of your fingers when a ring you’re wearing is suddenly pulled with a strong force. These are serious injuries that frequently lead to amputation.”
Dr. Jonathan Winston, ORA Orthopedics
Dr. Winston says the most common causes of ring avulsions are workplace accidents, falls, and sports injuries.
“I’ve seen these and they are pretty bad injuries, depending on how much soft tissue is compromised. I’ve seen fingers where the skin comes right off along with the nerves and blood vessels, and you can see bones and tendons.”
Dr. Winston says if you can imagine what it’s like to pull chicken off a wing or bone, that’s what essentially happens. “The medical term is ‘degloving,’ which is an apt description of what occurs when soft tissue is forced from the finger.”
Dr. Winston adds that in most cases, amputation is the best course of action.
In Fallon’s case, he said there was enough of his finger left for a physician to perform micro-surgery, taking a vein from his foot and implanting it into the finger to keep the tissue alive and the finger whole. It healed after several months.
Options after amputation
“Depending on the injury,” adds Dr. Winston, “you can sew and try to reattach the finger, but if it’s totally degloved (lost skin and muscle), amputations will usually foster a faster recovery. Reattachment can sometimes take a lot of surgeries, and many patients would rather just cut the finger off completely.”
Dr. Winston says that if you do lose a ring finger to amputation, he can sometimes move the pinky finger over to enhance the hand’s functionality.
“The hand will be functional, but some mobility is compromised.”
His advice: Wear a ring that is not metal and will break on impact. Or better yet, take it off when you risk snagging your hand.
Learn more about surgical and non-surgical treatment options for injuries to your fingers and hands at ORA’s Hand and Wrist Center of Excellence.
Just ask Late Night talk show host Jimmy Fallon. He’ll tell you all about what happens when a small stumble can turn into a frighteningly painful and serious finger injury.
In Fallon’s case, he tripped on a rug, which caused his hand to fly away from his body and his wedding ring caught on the corner of a counter. His audience heard his story, but it is not for the faint of heart:
The injury is called a “ring avulsion.”
An injury that could lead to amputation
ORA Orthopedics Hand Surgeon Dr. Jonathan Winston says it’s rare but violent. “A ring avulsion is an injury to one of your fingers when a ring you’re wearing is suddenly pulled with a strong force. These are serious injuries that frequently lead to amputation.”
Dr. Jonathan Winston, ORA Orthopedics
Dr. Winston says the most common causes of ring avulsions are workplace accidents, falls, and sports injuries.
“I’ve seen these and they are pretty bad injuries, depending on how much soft tissue is compromised. I’ve seen fingers where the skin comes right off along with the nerves and blood vessels, and you can see bones and tendons.”
Dr. Winston says if you can imagine what it’s like to pull chicken off a wing or bone, that’s what essentially happens. “The medical term is ‘degloving,’ which is an apt description of what occurs when soft tissue is forced from the finger.”
Dr. Winston adds that in most cases, amputation is the best course of action.
In Fallon’s case, he said there was enough of his finger left for a physician to perform micro-surgery, taking a vein from his foot and implanting it into the finger to keep the tissue alive and the finger whole. It healed after several months.
Options after amputation
“Depending on the injury,” adds Dr. Winston, “you can sew and try to reattach the finger, but if it’s totally degloved (lost skin and muscle), amputations will usually foster a faster recovery. Reattachment can sometimes take a lot of surgeries, and many patients would rather just cut the finger off completely.”
Dr. Winston says that if you do lose a ring finger to amputation, he can sometimes move the pinky finger over to enhance the hand’s functionality.
“The hand will be functional, but some mobility is compromised.”
His advice: Wear a ring that is not metal and will break on impact. Or better yet, take it off when you risk snagging your hand.
Learn more about surgical and non-surgical treatment options for injuries to your fingers and hands at ORA’s Hand and Wrist Center of Excellence.
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