Massage therapy · Kitchener–WaterlooVolar Plate Injury

The volar plate is a thick ligament on the palm side of the middle joint of the finger. It helps stop the joint from bending backwards (overstretching) (King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 2025). Injuries happen when the finger is bent backwards further than it should go, tearing or spraining the ligament.

People often describe this injury as a jammed finger. A common cause is a ball hitting the finger and pushing it backwards during sport (AAOS, n.d.). The injury can be to the ligament alone, or it can be an avulsion fracture, where the ligament pulls off a small piece of the bone it is attached to (King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 2025). The collateral ligaments on each side of the joint, which stop it bending sideways, can also be damaged; injuries to these ligaments and to the volar plate are types of finger sprain (AAOS, n.d.).

Most volar plate injuries heal in about six weeks, but swelling, pain or discomfort may take several months to settle completely (King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, 2025), and some sprains of this joint take up to 12 months (AAOS, n.d.). The finger may stay a little swollen or stiff when trying to bend or straighten it fully.

Volar Plate Injury Anatomy

The fingers each have three bones, while the thumb has only two. At each joint, the bones are held in place by ligaments. Muscles in the forearm and hand turn into tendons, which attach the muscles to the finger bones. The muscles move the fingers by pulling on the tendons. The finger bones are attached to the five metacarpal bones that make up the palm of the hand.

How to Treat a Volar Plate Injury

Treatments you may want to discuss with your family doctor or nurse practitioner

Tips

• Any time your finger is bent backwards there is a chance this injury has occurred, so get it checked out.
• A cold pack applied for 20 minutes at a time, several times a day for 2 to 3 days after the injury, can help ease pain and swelling – never apply ice directly to the skin (AAOS, n.d.).
• Follow the exercises and advice from me or your physiotherapist. You will need to do daily exercises to improve the mobility of the finger and prevent stiffness.

A volar plate injury needs protecting while the ligament heals, but a finger joint kept still for too long gets stiff and swollen. My aim is to protect the joint early on, then get it moving and strong again so you can grip, type and get back to sport.

I start by assessing your finger and hand: the swelling, how far the joint bends and straightens, how stable it feels, and your grip strength. A jammed finger can hide a small avulsion fracture, so if it hasn't been checked and I'm concerned, I'll ask you to see your family doctor or nurse practitioner first. If you've had an X-ray, please bring the report with you.

Protecting It Early

• Buddy taping to protect the joint, and I'll show you how to do it yourself; in some cases I'll refer you to a doctor or physiotherapist to have a splint fitted
• Keeping your hand raised, with gentle lymphatic drainage to help swelling move
• Warm or cool applications in the clinic, and I'll show you how to use ice safely at home
• Easing tense forearm and hand muscles while the finger is protected
• Gentle, pain-free bending and straightening, with no pressure or resistance through the finger yet

As It Heals

1. King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (2025) Volar plate injury. Available at: https://kch.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/PL-858.3-Volar-plate-injury-v3.pdf (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
2. Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust (n.d.) Volar plate injury. Available at: https://www.worcsacute.nhs.uk/leaflets/volar-plate-injury/ (Accessed: 7 October 2026).
3. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (n.d.) Finger sprains. OrthoInfo. Available at: https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/sprained-finger (Accessed: 7 October 2026).