jammed finger jammed finger jammed finger is a colloquialism referring to a variety of injuries to the joints of the fingers, resulting from axial loading beyond that which the ligaments can withstand. common parts of the finger susceptible to this type of injury are ligaments, joints, and bones. the severity of the damage to the finger increases with the magnitude of the force exerted by the external object on the fingertip. toes may become jammed as well, with similar results. jammed fingerjammed ring finger with minor bruising two days after injurysymptomsswelling, pain, limited range of motiontypessprain, dislocation, fracturecausesaxial loading to the fingerdiagnostic methodphysical examination or x-raytreatmentrest, ice, compression, elevation signs and symptoms there are a number of possible signs which indicate a jammed finger, which vary depending on the severity of the injury. these include swelling, reduction of flexibility of joints, pain, and tenderness. there may also be discolouration of the skin due to bruising. these symptoms may persist for up to eight weeks. initial signs of a dislocation include abnormal joint angulation (bones pointing at abnormal angles from a joint), while more serious fractures are indicated by midshaft angulation and rotation, where the bone itself appears broken or twisted. causes jammed fingers can occur when a force is applied in direction of the length of the finger from the fingertip (axial loading). therefore, any recreational activity in which the fingers are held in an outstretched position has the possibility of resulting in a jammed finger. this type of injury is particularly common in ball related sports, where an incorrect catching method may lead to the ball making contact with the tip of the finger. they may also occur if the finger is crushed between two surfaces, such as a door and door frame. diagnosis