Bone Spur or Hard Growth in Knuckle

I've been climbing for a little over five years—bouldering and sport—and I've developed a hard growth on the top/pinky-side of the last knuckle on my ring finger.  Perhaps a bone spur.  My feeling is that a few years of insufficient antagonist training has resulted in pulley strain, cartilage wear, and a subsequent osteophyte.

Does anyone have similar experience I could learn from?  Can I step up my antagonist training and relieve the issue, or is the damage pretty much done at this point?

Do you have health insurance? Do you think a doctor could diagnose it?

FrankPS wrote: Do you have health insurance? Do you think a doctor could diagnose it?

I do. I've considered seeing a PT for it, ideally someone familiar with the strain climbing puts on the digits.  Anyone have a CO Front Range recommendation?

Hi Nick,

Did you ever find out what your bony bump on your finger was? I'm having a similar issue with my index finger. It definitely feels hard and not like calloused skin. It occasionally gets some redness on it and mildly hurts when pressed but doesn't really bother me when I climb. I was just curious!   

That's most likely a ganglion cyst.  Basically, a tiny bone spur is irritating the joint, and the sac of synovial fluid inside the joint is swelling to try to protect it.  It may recede on its own (very unlikely) or it may continue to grow, and possibly pop.  If it pops while you're out climbing, that's potentially bad news, because any infection can get right into the core of your joint.

Your doctor (see a hand specialist) may recommend draining it (in as sterile a way as possible) and giving you a cortisone shot to see if it heals on its own.  It might.  Or it may come back and you'll need to have the original offender (the tiny bone spur) removed surgically.  I have had all of the above experiences on different knuckles.

Just don't ignore it.  You really don't want that sucker to pop on a finger jam.

Good luck,

Mike

slidingmike wrote:

That's most likely a ganglion cyst.  Basically, a tiny bone spur is irritating the joint, and the sac of synovial fluid inside the joint is swelling to try to protect it.  It may recede on its own (very unlikely) or it may continue to grow, and possibly pop.  If it pops while you're out climbing, that's potentially bad news, because any infection can get right into the core of your joint.

Your doctor (see a hand specialist) may recommend draining it (in as sterile a way as possible) and giving you a cortisone shot to see if it heals on its own.  It might.  Or it may come back and you'll need to have the original offender (the tiny bone spur) removed surgically.  I have had all of the above experiences on different knuckles.

Just don't ignore it.  You really don't want that sucker to pop on a finger jam.

Good luck,

Mike

Thanks for the info Mike! Appreciate the response. 

Mandy Hollingsworth wrote:

Hi Nick,

Did you ever find out what your bony bump on your finger was? I'm having a similar issue with my index finger. It definitely feels hard and not like calloused skin. It occasionally gets some redness on it and mildly hurts when pressed but doesn't really bother me when I climb. I was just curious!   

I’ve developed the same thing on my index finger. I guess it started to protrude after an injury. Has yours shown any more growth or did it go down? Would you know how to fix it?

slidingmike wrote:

That's most likely a ganglion cyst.  Basically, a tiny bone spur is irritating the joint, and the sac of synovial fluid inside the joint is swelling to try to protect it.  It may recede on its own (very unlikely) or it may continue to grow, and possibly pop.  If it pops while you're out climbing, that's potentially bad news, because any infection can get right into the core of your joint.

Your doctor (see a hand specialist) may recommend draining it (in as sterile a way as possible) and giving you a cortisone shot to see if it heals on its own.  It might.  Or it may come back and you'll need to have the original offender (the tiny bone spur) removed surgically.  I have had all of the above experiences on different knuckles.

Just don't ignore it.  You really don't want that sucker to pop on a finger jam.

Good luck,

Mike

Mike, hello. I’ve developed the same thing as the guy who posted a picture. But I think my bone started to protrude after an injury. It doesn’t hurt but it is awkward. Would you know what can be done to flatten it back?

Mandy Hollingsworth wrote:

Hi Nick,

Did you ever find out what your bony bump on your finger was? I'm having a similar issue with my index finger. It definitely feels hard and not like calloused skin. It occasionally gets some redness on it and mildly hurts when pressed but doesn't really bother me when I climb. I was just curious!   

I’ve developed the same thing on my index finger. I guess it started to protrude after an injury. Has yours shown any more growth or did it go down? Would you know how to fix it?

If you work with metal or wood, make sure it’s not a splinter!! Sometimes they can work into the joint and make lumps very similar to that if they’re in there for a while. Try to ID if there’s a specific, visible “point” to the lump and be very suspicious of splinters if there is. 

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21829-heberdens-nodes

I haven't been climbing as often lately which made the node or bump go away.