What Causes Tingling And Numbness In Pinky Finger After Elbow Surgery?

Posted on Thu, 9 Jan 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 9 Jan 2014 Answered on

Wed, 29 Jan 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I had elbow surgery 8 months ago lately my hand and all five fingers felt tingly and stiff. now out of a clear blue sky the four fingers plus the hand felt fine except for the pinkie finger which still feel stiff. my surgeon said it was due to a loose in holding the bone togethin and he removed It a few days ago but but it still feel stiff and numb

Answered by Dr. K. Naga Ravi Prasad (3 hours later)

Brief Answer: It may be due to ulnar nerve neuritis. Detailed Answer: Hi, thanks for writing to XXXXXXX Based on your description, most propably the tingling and numbness in your pinky finger could be possibly attributed to the ulnar nerve (which supplies the pinky finger) compression/irritation at the level of elbow during the surgical procedure. The ulnar nerve is most commonly injured during surgical procedures on the elbow that will cause tingling & numbness in the pinky finger. A nerve conduction study of the involved upper limb will correctly diagnose the problem (if there is any derangement in the function of the ulnar nerve). And the stiffness can be possibly due to the presence of degenerative arthritis in the finger joints (which is not uncommon at your age). So, I suggest you to consult a Neurophysician for a detailed clinical examination and further management. Hope I have addressed your query. Happy to help further Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad