What is a ring avulsion?
A ring avulsion is an injury to one of your fingers that happens when a ring you’re wearing is suddenly pulled with a strong force. They are serious injuries that frequently lead to amputation.
The most common causes of ring avulsions are workplace accidents, falls and sports injuries. How long it takes to recover form a ring avulsion depends on what caused it and how severely damaged your finger is.
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Who gets ring avulsions?
Anyone wearing a ring can experience a ring avulsion. If you wear a ring and work with your hands around machinery or other equipment you have a higher risk of experiencing a ring avulsion.
Athletes who wear rings while playing sports — especially contact sports like football — have a higher risk too.
How common is this condition?
Ring avulsions are rare. They’re only around 5% of emergency room visits for arm and hand injuries each year.
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How does this condition affect my body?
Depending on how severe the ring avulsion is, it can cause a lot of damage to your finger. Ring avulsions can be traumatic injuries that require a finger amputation. The damage can also cause blood clots and bone fractures in your damaged finger.
Ring avulsions can damage any part of your finger including your:
- Skin and surrounding soft tissue (like muscles and fat).
- Nerves.
- Blood vessels.
- Tendons.
- Bones.
