ABOS Part I Comprehensive Review - Batch 71

Question 1

A 38-year-old recreational basketball player presents to your clinic 3 days after 'jamming' his left ring finger. He reports immediate pain and an inability to fully straighten the tip of his finger. On examination, his DIP joint rests in approximate

Accepted Answer

Type I; Continuous DIP joint extension splinting for 6-8 weeks.

Question 2

A 55-year-old female presents with a chronic soft tissue mallet finger of her right long finger, sustained 6 months prior. She initially attempted splinting but was non-compliant due to discomfort. She now has a persistent 35-degree extensor lag at t

Accepted Answer

Flexor Digitorum Profundus (FDP) tendon

Question 3

A 28-year-old carpenter presents with a 4-month-old soft tissue mallet finger of his index finger. He initially tried splinting for 3 weeks but removed it due to work demands. He now has a fixed 25-degree extensor lag at the DIP joint and complains o

Accepted Answer

Triangular ligament

Question 4

A 42-year-old accountant presents with a 3-month history of a soft tissue mallet finger on his dominant middle finger. He initially attempted non-operative management with a Stack splint for 8 weeks, but he admits to removing it frequently for hygien

Accepted Answer

Persistent extensor lag of more than 15-20 degrees after an adequate course of continuous splinting.

Question 5

A 60-year-old diabetic patient presents with a chronic soft tissue mallet finger of 8 months duration, complicated by a fixed swan neck deformity of the same finger. She is scheduled for surgical repair. During pre-operative planning, the surgeon rev

Accepted Answer

Standard AP, lateral, and oblique plain radiographs of the affected digit.

Question 6

A 25-year-old professional musician undergoes surgical repair for a chronic soft tissue mallet finger with significant tendon retraction. The surgeon decides to perform a tendon-to-bone reattachment using drill holes and a pull-out suture technique.

Accepted Answer

To protect the tendon repair and maintain the DIP joint in full extension or slight hyperextension.

Question 7

A 30-year-old athlete undergoes surgical repair for a chronic soft tissue mallet finger. During the procedure, the surgeon identifies significant retraction of the proximal tendon stump and a very short distal stump. The image below shows a K-wire us

Accepted Answer

Tendon advancement and reattachment to the distal phalanx using bone tunnels or suture anchors.

Question 8

A 48-year-old painter undergoes surgical repair of a chronic soft tissue mallet finger. Post-operatively, the DIP joint is immobilized with a K-wire as shown in the image. During the rehabilitation phase, which of the following is the MOST critical i

Accepted Answer

Ensure absolutely no active or passive DIP joint flexion is permitted.

Question 9

A 70-year-old retired teacher presents with a persistent 25-degree extensor lag after 10 weeks of continuous splinting for an acute soft tissue mallet finger. She is now developing a mild, flexible hyperextension of her PIP joint. The surgeon is cons

Accepted Answer

Extensor Lag / Re-rupture; Salvage with DIP joint arthrodesis (fusion).

Question 10

A 35-year-old construction worker presents with an acute open mallet finger injury to his small finger, sustained from a laceration over the DIP joint. On examination, there is a clear disruption of the extensor tendon, and he has a significant exten

Accepted Answer

Surgical debridement and primary repair are required to prevent infection and restore tendon integrity.

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Key Takeaway