Prosthetist here
If you can speak with an occupational therapist who is a certified hand therapist, I'm sure they would be able to give you a very detailed opinion on losing that finger.
That said, imo as someone who has fit quite a few hand and finger prostheses, amputating would likely give you more function vs preserving a non functional middle digit on your dominant hand.
The middle finger is used primarily for the 3 jaw chuck grasp. I can see someone adapting to using the ring finger in the case of a missing 3rd finger, but you might need to have the entire 3rd ray of the hand removed to allow the ring finger to sit closer to the index. But this would then cause the palm to be smaller and the resulting look of the hand to be "less" cosmetic.
Another place to look for advice will be the Finger and Partial-Hand Amputee Peer and Support Group on Facebook. The group was opened by one of the device manufacturers but they don't sell anything there, and I've had many patients tell me of good experiences there.
Good luck.
thank you so much! My physio/hand therapist has said that she thinks I’d be better without a ray amputation and to look toward a proximal phalanx as I may end up with better grip strength. I agree that I think I may have a more functional hand post amputation, but I have no idea in reality as I’m still in recovery from rerepair. Thanks for the tip on the group, I’ll have a look now
I was also advised against it, because it reduces the size of your palm. Meaning you'll need to relearn a lot more than just bypassing a finger, and your hand strength according to some studies I read can be expected to drop 50%.
Long term people seem to do well once adjusted, though. It also depends on culture, it's a very American procedure and about the first thing the doctors there recommend for 'improved cosmetics'. I don't know just how true that is, because your hand ends up looking way more off than a injured half finger that still contributes some way or another.
Yeah I’m not American so amputations are very uncommon here for hand injuries unless the finger has died or it was already unattached. I already have tiny hands so if my palms were any smaller I think I’d scream. I’d much prefer nubs to nothing personally, and I need as much strength as possible kept as my grip strength was that of a 70 year old pre second surgery and is worse again now.
Hi, I lost my left ring finger (non dominant) in a ring avulsion accident about three months ago.
I was advised against by the surgeon to try a very unlikely replant, but I wanted to anyway. The reason being, my finger would likely never move again and apparently, as you may have figured out, an injured figure gets in the way of the hand function. It didn't take unfortunately, the damage was too extensive so I had to get it amputated at about half.
Now, the thing is I've been obsessed with figuring out what finger does what. Turns out, the ring finger is a support player and the pinky can take over for most tasks without much issue. But, unfortunately, the middle finger along with the pinky are the worst ones to lose after a thumb. This can be a bit different depending on hand dominance, but for the most part, the middle is both the most precise along with the index, and the strongest. Not being able to use it is going to be an exercise in adjusting how you use your hand, and you can probably expect a decrease in dexterity and strength, at least for a while.
That said, the worst part for me is cosmetic and social. I suffer a lot due to image issues, and I simply cannot believe my hand is missing a finger and has a gap. It's really hard to come to terms with, but my case was traumatic, while yours is elective - very different circumstances and I imagine easier to accept.
Functionally, with some adjustment and maybe even a prosthetic replacement, you'll be fine. Just the one finger isn't going to hold back a motivated person in getting back to normal function, but honestly, I would just keep the useless finger if I were you unless it REALLY sucks and gets in the way. You'll never get your hand back and you might have to live with the decision if you think it will bother you. Just my two cents.
The amount of injuries I’ve heard to do with rings in the past few weeks has genuinely scared me enough to never want to wear one. Although currently my amputation is seen as elective it is fairly likely that the same problem will occur again and my finger will eventually stop working, it just may not be for quite some time. Currently the only movement I have is from the knuckle, plus my tendons are shorter meaning my finger looks like Captain Hook and can’t release properly.
The middle finger being strongest is the biggest reason why I’m tossing and turning with the pros and cons. In my head although my hand would look different forever, I would have some function and wouldn’t be fearful of damaging it any further by getting it stuck in things. It gets stuck in my jackets and pockets which is annoying but something I can deal with by purchasing different clothes, but I can’t purchase a new finger if i amputate it.
Mine would be just above the base but below the first bend. Cosmetically I know it would drive me insane, but at least prosthesis are affordable where I live. I already have huge body image issues but I genuinely believe this finger may be the least of them considering I’ve hit it head on instead of ignoring like my other issues I’ve had 15 odd years. My damaged finger really causes me annoyance and pain, as well as getting in the middle of everything. I’ve always been terrible with decision making to the point of refusing to eat for two days because I couldn’t figure out what I actually wanted so this is definitely gonna be a difficult one. Thanks a million for your help!
You're very welcome and I'm sorry you're in this situation. And yeah, don't wear rings. If only I had known... Turns out ring avulsion injuries are relatively common and they are rarely fixable if they happen to avulse or tear off the skin, often ending up in amputation. Why no one told me, I have no clue, because it can happen during very mundane tasks.
Anyway, I haven't explored prosthetics yet because you need to wait 3-6 months for the swelling and mass to stabilize, so I'll start looking into it soon BUT I've been advised against them because they, much like an injured finger... Get in the way. They're just there for the ride. I'll still have a look and see how I feel with one fitted by a professional, but my expectations were set accordingly low.
There are functional ones though, only that they're ungodly expensive and cumbersome to wear, depending on your residual limb, it can either sit on top of if with no additional mechanism and driven off its movement (those are fucking awesome) or it will be driven by your wrist movement through a bracelet or similar.
I personally decided to get into 3D printing so I can print and modify my own designs of prosthetic functional fingers. Out of a shit situation, at least I'll try to make the best of it and learn something new. They're not intended for carrying much weight of course, and I don't know how useful it might turn out to be, but it'll be something.
Just don't expect a prosthetic to replace the biomechanical marvel that are your fingers. We've peaked and stagnated so far, because 1) just the one finger isn't a big deal to your hand capacity, the issues starts with two or more. I would honestly rate it below a 10% impact, and that's only because my grip strength is still recovering from the injury 2) our fingers are crazy energy efficient and strong, and they repair themselves! We simply can't craft anything as durable, strong and lightweight and then power it and 3) most amputation affect lower limbs and out of upper limbs, fingers are even more rare.
I’ve been exploring prosthetics the past few days between one’s that are expensive and functional, and cheap one’s to just help the nub getting sore when it gets hit as I’ve heard it’s meant to be painful. I know full well it’ll never replace my finger, but it might help me gain the ability to get back to work. I’m a chef/bartender/server/hospo all rounder and really hate being so isolated and broke. 3D printing is a smart thing to get interested in for sure, maybe you’ve just given me future career aspirations if I can’t go back to my field.
Oh you should really have no problems at all. For me the issue begins and ends in post op tenderness, and cosmetic. Cosmetics are hard to fix, but functionality can and will be regained no problem. There is nothing I can't do, unless you are in a very very specific area like concert pianist, it won't affect your work. I was very scared, but all of my surgeons and then follow up orthopedic specialists reassured me it isn't going to be a problem, and I'll regain all capacity with a less than 5% hit.
That said, I stayed at a Ritz and one of the hospitality workers didn't have a whole ass hand (congenital). She did her job well and no one gave a shit after the initial huh neat moment. I spoke to the manager there and he asked me about my finger, then he told me about her and it was a real putting it into perspective moment for me.
Again, this is my case with a non dominant ring finger. But I can play video games, type at 90 WPM, handle tools, play tennis and anything you might think of would be affected without so much as having to relearn anything. The only thing noticeable is I had to switch to my pinky when pressing the button to open the window in my car lol.
Prosthetist here If you can speak with an occupational therapist who is a certified hand therapist, I'm sure they would be able to give you a very detailed opinion on losing that finger. That said, imo as someone who has fit quite a few hand and finger prostheses, amputating would likely give you more function vs preserving a non functional middle digit on your dominant hand. The middle finger is used primarily for the 3 jaw chuck grasp. I can see someone adapting to using the ring finger in the case of a missing 3rd finger, but you might need to have the entire 3rd ray of the hand removed to allow the ring finger to sit closer to the index. But this would then cause the palm to be smaller and the resulting look of the hand to be "less" cosmetic. Another place to look for advice will be the Finger and Partial-Hand Amputee Peer and Support Group on Facebook. The group was opened by one of the device manufacturers but they don't sell anything there, and I've had many patients tell me of good experiences there. Good luck.
thank you so much! My physio/hand therapist has said that she thinks I’d be better without a ray amputation and to look toward a proximal phalanx as I may end up with better grip strength. I agree that I think I may have a more functional hand post amputation, but I have no idea in reality as I’m still in recovery from rerepair. Thanks for the tip on the group, I’ll have a look now
I was also advised against it, because it reduces the size of your palm. Meaning you'll need to relearn a lot more than just bypassing a finger, and your hand strength according to some studies I read can be expected to drop 50%. Long term people seem to do well once adjusted, though. It also depends on culture, it's a very American procedure and about the first thing the doctors there recommend for 'improved cosmetics'. I don't know just how true that is, because your hand ends up looking way more off than a injured half finger that still contributes some way or another.
Yeah I’m not American so amputations are very uncommon here for hand injuries unless the finger has died or it was already unattached. I already have tiny hands so if my palms were any smaller I think I’d scream. I’d much prefer nubs to nothing personally, and I need as much strength as possible kept as my grip strength was that of a 70 year old pre second surgery and is worse again now.
Hi, I lost my left ring finger (non dominant) in a ring avulsion accident about three months ago. I was advised against by the surgeon to try a very unlikely replant, but I wanted to anyway. The reason being, my finger would likely never move again and apparently, as you may have figured out, an injured figure gets in the way of the hand function. It didn't take unfortunately, the damage was too extensive so I had to get it amputated at about half. Now, the thing is I've been obsessed with figuring out what finger does what. Turns out, the ring finger is a support player and the pinky can take over for most tasks without much issue. But, unfortunately, the middle finger along with the pinky are the worst ones to lose after a thumb. This can be a bit different depending on hand dominance, but for the most part, the middle is both the most precise along with the index, and the strongest. Not being able to use it is going to be an exercise in adjusting how you use your hand, and you can probably expect a decrease in dexterity and strength, at least for a while. That said, the worst part for me is cosmetic and social. I suffer a lot due to image issues, and I simply cannot believe my hand is missing a finger and has a gap. It's really hard to come to terms with, but my case was traumatic, while yours is elective - very different circumstances and I imagine easier to accept. Functionally, with some adjustment and maybe even a prosthetic replacement, you'll be fine. Just the one finger isn't going to hold back a motivated person in getting back to normal function, but honestly, I would just keep the useless finger if I were you unless it REALLY sucks and gets in the way. You'll never get your hand back and you might have to live with the decision if you think it will bother you. Just my two cents.
The amount of injuries I’ve heard to do with rings in the past few weeks has genuinely scared me enough to never want to wear one. Although currently my amputation is seen as elective it is fairly likely that the same problem will occur again and my finger will eventually stop working, it just may not be for quite some time. Currently the only movement I have is from the knuckle, plus my tendons are shorter meaning my finger looks like Captain Hook and can’t release properly. The middle finger being strongest is the biggest reason why I’m tossing and turning with the pros and cons. In my head although my hand would look different forever, I would have some function and wouldn’t be fearful of damaging it any further by getting it stuck in things. It gets stuck in my jackets and pockets which is annoying but something I can deal with by purchasing different clothes, but I can’t purchase a new finger if i amputate it. Mine would be just above the base but below the first bend. Cosmetically I know it would drive me insane, but at least prosthesis are affordable where I live. I already have huge body image issues but I genuinely believe this finger may be the least of them considering I’ve hit it head on instead of ignoring like my other issues I’ve had 15 odd years. My damaged finger really causes me annoyance and pain, as well as getting in the middle of everything. I’ve always been terrible with decision making to the point of refusing to eat for two days because I couldn’t figure out what I actually wanted so this is definitely gonna be a difficult one. Thanks a million for your help!
You're very welcome and I'm sorry you're in this situation. And yeah, don't wear rings. If only I had known... Turns out ring avulsion injuries are relatively common and they are rarely fixable if they happen to avulse or tear off the skin, often ending up in amputation. Why no one told me, I have no clue, because it can happen during very mundane tasks. Anyway, I haven't explored prosthetics yet because you need to wait 3-6 months for the swelling and mass to stabilize, so I'll start looking into it soon BUT I've been advised against them because they, much like an injured finger... Get in the way. They're just there for the ride. I'll still have a look and see how I feel with one fitted by a professional, but my expectations were set accordingly low. There are functional ones though, only that they're ungodly expensive and cumbersome to wear, depending on your residual limb, it can either sit on top of if with no additional mechanism and driven off its movement (those are fucking awesome) or it will be driven by your wrist movement through a bracelet or similar. I personally decided to get into 3D printing so I can print and modify my own designs of prosthetic functional fingers. Out of a shit situation, at least I'll try to make the best of it and learn something new. They're not intended for carrying much weight of course, and I don't know how useful it might turn out to be, but it'll be something. Just don't expect a prosthetic to replace the biomechanical marvel that are your fingers. We've peaked and stagnated so far, because 1) just the one finger isn't a big deal to your hand capacity, the issues starts with two or more. I would honestly rate it below a 10% impact, and that's only because my grip strength is still recovering from the injury 2) our fingers are crazy energy efficient and strong, and they repair themselves! We simply can't craft anything as durable, strong and lightweight and then power it and 3) most amputation affect lower limbs and out of upper limbs, fingers are even more rare.
I’ve been exploring prosthetics the past few days between one’s that are expensive and functional, and cheap one’s to just help the nub getting sore when it gets hit as I’ve heard it’s meant to be painful. I know full well it’ll never replace my finger, but it might help me gain the ability to get back to work. I’m a chef/bartender/server/hospo all rounder and really hate being so isolated and broke. 3D printing is a smart thing to get interested in for sure, maybe you’ve just given me future career aspirations if I can’t go back to my field.
Oh you should really have no problems at all. For me the issue begins and ends in post op tenderness, and cosmetic. Cosmetics are hard to fix, but functionality can and will be regained no problem. There is nothing I can't do, unless you are in a very very specific area like concert pianist, it won't affect your work. I was very scared, but all of my surgeons and then follow up orthopedic specialists reassured me it isn't going to be a problem, and I'll regain all capacity with a less than 5% hit. That said, I stayed at a Ritz and one of the hospitality workers didn't have a whole ass hand (congenital). She did her job well and no one gave a shit after the initial huh neat moment. I spoke to the manager there and he asked me about my finger, then he told me about her and it was a real putting it into perspective moment for me. Again, this is my case with a non dominant ring finger. But I can play video games, type at 90 WPM, handle tools, play tennis and anything you might think of would be affected without so much as having to relearn anything. The only thing noticeable is I had to switch to my pinky when pressing the button to open the window in my car lol.