Finger Protectors: Small Objects Making Big Differences

Finger injuries and amputations are often the result of accidents that occur on the job and at home. Those with the highest risk are people who work with their hands using power tools and other machinery, or those who use a lot of tools and machinery around their home. Many people who experience an acquired finger or partial finger amputation are grateful that the residual finger was saved, but frustrated by the sensitivity and pain that finger now has. It may be difficult to pick things up, cook or simply move through life. They may have to balance tasks, i.e. they could pick up that item, but is it worth the pain they will feel in their injured/partial finger when they do that?

To help with these issues, our Arm Dynamics prosthetists and prosthetic technicians offer a solution: finger protectors, often made of custom silicone but sometimes made of plastic. These small but mighty tools can allow people to get through their day without the pain that a sensitive residual finger can cause.

Our patient Emilee received her finger protector, seen in the image above, in August of 2025. She has an amputation on her right index finger, above her middle knuckle, also called the PIP joint. Without any protection on that finger, she simply tends to not use it when writing, grabbing items or locking/unlocking doors. You might think, well, what’s the big deal? It’s just one finger she’s not using. For brief periods of time, it’s not a big deal, but amputations are permanent. In the long run, having decreased hand strength, and needing to position the wrist at awkward angles to avoid pain can lead to overuse issues. Some overuse issues can become so severe that the hand becomes too painful to use. When a person stops using one of their hands in day-to-day life, significantly more stress is placed on the other hand, potentially resulting in overuse injuries.