HOUSTON – The tweet that let us all know what happened to Jimmy Fallon's finger: "Tripped and caught my fall (good thing)! Ring caught on side of table almost ripped my finger off (bad thing)."
Always one to add a touch of humor, but Fallon highlights a serious medical issue called ring avulsion.
Fallon said the accident happened in his kitchen.
"I tripped and fell in my kitchen on a braided rug that my wife loves, and I can't wait to burn it to the ground," he said on "The Tonight Show" on Monday.
After 10 days in ICU and six hours of surgery, his ring finger was saved.
"Degloving injuries have a rate of about 7,000-8,000 a year," Dr. Victor Van Phan, of Southeast Memorial Hermann Hospital said.
Phan said "degloving" incidents, or a ring avulsion, usually ends with an amputated finger.
"So basically the ring is a static object on the finger and it basically rips the whole skin off the finger," he said. "The grade three where the arterial supply, in conjunction with the bone, the tendons and the artery are completely off, those usually end up with pure revision amputation."
So what if you work with your hands?
There are companies that sell silicone rings that you can swap out for your wedding band, but the doctor says people with medical or industrial jobs in which they use machinery are better off keeping hands clear of any dangers.
Phan said hand injuries related to wedding rings are so common he suggests wearing your band on a necklace.