Index Finger Pain After Fall: Causes & What to Do

Question
hello dr.borucki i am asking this question on behalf of my partner desmond who does not have an email address.about 4 months ago while painting, he slipped over and fell forwards landing only on his right index finger which was pointing straight on the ground holding all of his body weight as he had something in the other hand.to make a long story boring!,he had no trouble until a few weeks later when he began to experience pain in the finger.it was x rayed and the result showed no damage to the bone,but he is still suffering with alot of pain and stiffness could ths be tendon damage and roughly how long would it take to heal?should he seek more medical advice or will it heal of its own accord in time?any advice greatly appreciated.
thanking you, ruth oconnor(ireland)

Answer
So, no bony damage... depending on how he bent it or twisted it, he easily could have damaged the tendons and/or ligaments.  A doctor should check it for function.  That is the 2nd most important finger on that hand (thumb is #1) so it is worthwhile making sure that it heals to 100%  The big think is whether it has strength and ability tomove in all the directions that it should move.  (Actively... meaning that he can move it in all directions on it's own, with good strength.  Compare to the other side.... If something doesn't work correctly, then he might need an eval by a hand surgeon for a tendon repair.

Hope this helps...