How to Identify a Broken Finger

A broken finger is one of the most common injuries seen in the emergency room. However, it is also a good idea to determine if you really have broken your finger before going to the hospital. A strained or torn ligament can be painful, but not to the point of needing an emergency. You should see your doctor if you have sprained or torn a ligament. However, a fracture can lead to internal bleeding or other damage that requires immediate medical attention.

Table of Contents

Recognize the signs of a broken finger

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Check for pain. Pain is the first sign that the finger has been broken. The degree of pain depends on the severity of the fracture. After a finger injury, you need to handle it very carefully and monitor the level of pain. ^{[1] X Research Source}

It can be difficult to immediately determine if a finger is broken, as acute pain is also a symptom of sprains and dislocations.
Watch for other symptoms and/or seek medical attention if you are unsure of the severity of your injury.

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Check for swelling and bruising. After a finger fracture, you will experience pain along with swelling or bruising. This is the body’s natural response to injury. After a fracture, the body will stimulate an inflammatory response accompanied by swelling due to fluid secretion into the surrounding tissues. ^{[2] X Research Source}

Swelling is often accompanied by bruising. This is because the capillaries around the wound swell or burst in response to the increased fluid pressure. ^{[3] X Research Sources}
It may be difficult at first to tell if a finger is broken because it is still possible to move the finger. After you try to move, swelling and bruising begin to appear. The swelling may also spread to other fingers or down to the palm.
Usually you will notice swelling and bruising after 5 to 10 minutes of pain in your finger.
However, mild swelling or no immediate bruising may be a sign of a sprain rather than a fracture.

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Note the distortion and inability to move the finger. A broken finger consists of a piece of bone that is cracked or broken in one or more places. Bone deformities can appear as abnormal lumps on the finger or the finger is crooked in another direction. ^{[4] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source}

Curvatures may indicate a broken finger.
Usually you can’t move your finger if it’s broken because one or more bones are no longer connected.
It is also possible that swelling and bruising make the finger too stiff to move easily after an injury.

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Know when to get medical attention. If you think your finger is broken, go to the nearest emergency room. Fracture is a complex injury, and the severity is not obvious outwardly. Some fractures require multiple treatments to heal properly. If you’re not sure if you’ve broken a bone, it’s best to see a doctor. Better safe than sorry! ^{[5] X Research Sources}

If there is severe pain, swelling, bruising, any deformity or reduced mobility of the finger, you should seek medical attention. ^{[6] X Research Sources}
Children with finger injuries always need to be taken to the doctor. The young and growing bones are susceptible to injury and complications if the damage is not treated properly.
If the fracture is not treated by a medical professional, it is possible that the finger and hand will still be stiff and painful when you try to move the finger.
The junction of the bone that is not straight can interfere with the movement of the hand.

Diagnosing a broken finger in the clinic

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Clinical examination. If you suspect a broken finger, you should seek medical attention. During the exam, your doctor will assess the damage and determine the severity of the fracture. ^{[7] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Your doctor will test your finger’s range of motion by asking you to make a fist. They will also look for external signs such as swelling, bruising, and bone deformities.
Your doctor will manually examine your finger for signs of decreased blood flow to the affected area and nerve damage.

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Request to be checked image. If a finger cannot be identified through a physical examination, an imaging test may be ordered to diagnose a fracture. These tests include X-rays, computed tomography (CT scan), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

An X-ray is often the first imaging test to diagnose a fracture. Your doctor will place your injured finger between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector, and then shine low-dose radio waves through your finger to take pictures. The process is complete in a few minutes and is painless. ^{[8] X Research Sources}
Computed tomography (CT scan) involves the use of X-rays at the same time to take multiple views of the injured finger. Your doctor may decide to do a CT scan if the initial X-ray results are unclear or if there is a suspicion of soft tissue damage associated with the fracture. ^{[9] X Trusted Source Johns Hopkins Medicine Go to Source}
An MRI may be needed if your doctor suspects a fracture, a type of fracture that occurs after a period of repeated trauma. An MRI scan provides more detailed images and can help your doctor distinguish between soft tissue damage and a fracture in your finger. ^{[10] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

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Ask your doctor if you need surgical advice. You may need surgery if you have a serious fracture, such as an open fracture. Some fractures are unstable and require surgical repositioning with an assistive device (such as wire or a screw) so that the bone can heal properly. ^{[11] X Research Source}

Any severe fracture that impedes movement and deforms the hand requires surgery to restore joint mobility.
You might be surprised how difficult it is to do everyday life if you can’t use all of your fingers. Professions such as chiropractors, surgeons, painters and mechanics require the use of fine motor skills to be able to do the job correctly. Therefore, taking care of a broken finger is extremely important.

Treatment of broken fingers

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Use ice, compression and elevation. Reduce swelling and pain with ice. Give first aid in this way as soon as possible. Remember to let your fingers rest. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Apply ice to the finger. Wrap a bag of frozen vegetables or an ice pack in a thin towel and gently press it against your finger to reduce swelling and pain. Apply ice immediately after injury if necessary (do not apply for more than 20 minutes).
Wound dressing. Gently but firmly wrap the finger with an elastic bandage to help reduce swelling and keep the finger immobilized. The first time you see your doctor, ask if you should wrap your finger to reduce the risk of further swelling and prevent movement of your other fingers.
Raise your hand. Whenever possible, raise the injured finger above your heart. You’ll probably be most comfortable sitting on the sofa with your feet on the cushions and your wrists and fingers on the back of the chair.
You should not use your injured finger for everyday activities until your doctor thinks it is safe to do so.

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Ask your doctor if you need a brace. Splints are used to immobilize the broken finger to prevent further injury. You can make a temporary splint with ice cream and loose bandages until you get to your doctor’s office to have it re-wrapped. ^{[13] X Research Source}

The type of splint may vary depending on which finger the broken finger is. The “couple” dressing can help in minor fractures to immobilize the injured finger by applying a bandage to the adjacent finger.
The dorsal extension brace prevents the fingers from being bent back. A soft splint is placed to hold the injured finger slightly bent toward the palm and is held in place with a soft bandage.
The U-shaped aluminum splint is a flexible aluminum splint that can keep the injured finger from extending. This splint is placed behind the finger to keep the finger immobilized. ^{[14] X Trusted Source American Academy of Family Physicians Go to Source}
In more severe cases, the doctor may place a fiberglass splint that is fixed from the finger to the wrist. Basically, this is also the form of a cast for the finger.

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Ask your doctor if you need surgery. Surgery is needed to treat and heal a broken bone if immobilization and waiting don’t work. In general, fractures that require surgery are more complex than those requiring immobilization. ^{[15] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Open fractures, unstable fractures, broken segments, and fractures that damage joints all require surgery, because the broken bones need to be brought back to their original position to help the bone heal in the correct shape. initial.

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Take pain relievers. Your doctor may give you non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help ease the pain of a broken bone. NSAIDs work to reduce the negative effects of long-term inflammation, relieve pain, and reduce pressure on nerves and related tissues. This drug does not interfere with the healing process. ^{[16] X Research Source}

Common over-the-counter NSAIDs for pain relief from fractures include ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen sodium (Aleve). You can also take acetaminophen (Tylep), but it’s not an NSAID and doesn’t help with inflammation. ^{[17] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}
Your doctor may also prescribe a codeine-based prescription medication for short-term pain relief if you have severe pain. The pain will not get worse as the wound begins to heal, and the doctor will reduce the dose of the medication as the bone heals.

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Review according to instructions. Your doctor may schedule a follow-up visit a few weeks after initial treatment. Maybe your doctor will order an X-ray again in 1-2 weeks after the injury to monitor the healing process of the bone. Remember to go back to your doctor to make sure your finger is healing.

If you have questions about the wound or any other questions, contact the clinic.

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Understand complications. In general, a broken finger will recover very well after consulting a doctor and the healing time is 4-6 weeks. The risk of complications after a finger fracture is quite low, but you should still be aware: ^{[18] X Research Source}

Stiffness can occur as a result of scar tissue forming around the fracture. This condition can be treated with physical therapy to strengthen the muscles in the fingers and reduce scar tissue.
A portion of the finger bone can become rotated during recovery, leading to deformity and requiring surgical treatment to help bring everything back into place.
The two pieces of bone may not join together, leading to permanent instability at the fracture site. This condition is also known as “no bone healing.”
Skin infections can occur if the skin is torn at the fracture site and is not properly disinfected prior to surgery.

Understanding fracture types

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Understanding finger fractures. The human hand consists of 27 bones: 8 wrist bones, 5 palm bones, and 3 finger bones (14 bones). ^{[19] X Research Source}

The proximal knuckles are the longest part of the finger that is closest to the palm. Next is the middle knuckle, and finally the furthest ones form the “head” of the finger. ^{[20] X Research Source}
Acute injuries such as falls, accidents and sports injuries are common causes of finger fractures. Fingertips are one of the most vulnerable parts of the body as they are involved in almost every activity of daily life. ^{[21] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}^{[22] X Research Source}

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Identify a stable fracture. A stable fracture is defined as a bone that breaks but has little or no displacement at the ends of the fracture. Also called a nondisplaced fracture, stable fractures can be difficult to identify and present with symptoms similar to those of other types of trauma. ^{[23] X Research Sources}

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Identify a displaced fracture. Any fracture in which the two major sides of the fracture are no longer in contact or in alignment is considered a displaced fracture.

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Identify the type of open fracture. A fracture in which the broken bone is displaced and part of the bone penetrates the skin is defined as an open fracture. Because of the severity of the damage to the bone and surrounding tissues, this case requires immediate medical attention.

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Identify fracture patterns. This is a displaced fracture in which the bone breaks into three or more pieces. While not always, the condition is often associated with severe damage to surrounding tissues. The severe pain and immobility of the injured limb makes this type of injury easier to diagnose.

Warning

Regardless of the advice above, seek medical attention if you think you have a serious injury.

Steps

Recognize the signs of a broken finger

Diagnosing a broken finger in the clinic

Treatment of broken fingers

Understanding fracture types

Warning

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