Doctor Explains Jared Vanderbilt’s Graphic Finger Injury #Lakers #SportsMedicine

Lakers Jared Vanderbilt left in severe pain after a finger injury so graphic it made the entire Thunder bench turn away. Let's break this down. Viewer discretion is advised. The mechanism is worse than it first looks. Vanderbilt goes up for the block, right arm fully extended, fingers spread. At this speed, the pinky is the most exposed structure leading the hand. On contact, the fifth digit hits the rigid backboard first, not the palm, concentrating force into the weakest column of the hand. Here's the key. The pinky stops instantly while the rest of the hand keeps moving, creating hyper abduction, moving away from the body and backwards extension. The pinky also twists sideways, creating rotational or torsional force across the finger. If you're squeamish, look away now. This next frame might be graphic. The finger immediately loses alignment, a red flag for joint disruption. It's visibly off-axis and has since been confirmed it was a dislocation with or without a fracture, and there is a possible open fracture, meaning bone may have briefly breached the skin. Can't confirm from this frame alone. It could also be motion blur or soft tissue distortion, but the immediate reaction from players and the bench suggests something more severe may have been visible. Anatomically, force travels through the fifth digit, through the phalanges, into the fifth metacarpal. While hyperextension occurs, going backwards, and outward rotation, creating bending stress that could displace fragments outward. With minimal soft tissue along this lateral side of the pinky, that displacement increases the risk of skin breach and fracture dislocation patterns. Reports via Shams suggest the bone may have broken the skin, but JJ Redick also said postgame he spoke with Vanderbilt after the game, and he was in good spirits. Which is noticeable because if this were truly an open injury, guidelines typically recommend urgent IV antibiotics within 1 hour. Usually requiring an emergency room evaluation rather than remaining in the back with the team. Let's hope for the best. Wishing Vanderbilt a safe and speedy recovery.