Nail Bed or Fingertip Injuries

Even minor injuries on the nailbed or fingertip can be painful and impact your ability to use your hands.

Fingertip injuries are common and can affect the skin, nail, tendons, nerves and underlying bone — for such a small area, they can have a huge impact.

What Causes Nail Bed and Fingertip Injuries?

Common causes of nail bed and fingertip injuries include:

Crushing or pinching (e.g., catching a finger in a door)
Cuts from knives, glass, or other sharp objects
Sports injuries
Broken bones at the fingertip
Tendon or nerve injuries

Even simple crushes can cause a collection of blood under the nail, while more severe injuries may require surgical repair.

What are Signs and Symptoms of Nail Bed Injuries?

You may have a fingertip or nail bed injury if you notice:

Pain and tenderness at the fingertip
Swelling or bruising
Bleeding under the nail
Nail cracking, splitting or loss
Inability to bend or straighten the fingertip

In severe cases, part of the fingertip or nail may be torn off, or bones and tendons may be damaged.

How are Nail Bed or Fingertip Injuries Treated?

Treatment depends on the type and severity of the injury. Options may include pain management and splinting, protective dressings to prevent infection and home care for minor injuries.

For more severe injuries, a surgeon may recommend surgical care.

Nail Bed Surgery

Repair of nail bed lacerations to restore normal nail growth
Skin grafting or flap surgery for large tissue loss
Reattachment of amputated parts
Repair of tendon or nerve injuries if present

What is Recovery from Fingertip or Nail Bed Injuries Like?

Full recovery from a fingertip injury often takes several months. During recovery, patients may experience:

Sensitivity to touch or cold
Stiffness in the fingertip
Need for hand therapy or home exercises to restore range of motion, strength and function

With proper treatment, most patients regain full hand function, although some pain or sensitivity may persist long-term depending on the injury.

Nail Bed and Fingertip Injury Treatment at OrthoNebraska

Hurt your fingertip or nail bed in the Omaha area and need care? At OrthoNebraska, we want to make sure that our patients feel understood, safe and confident to take on an appropriate treatment plan. With proper management, we can help you reduce pain levels and improve quality of life.

Schedule Now With a HAND Specialist