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This article was co-written by Laura Marusinec, MD. Marusinec is a licensed pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, and she is a member of the Clinical Practice Council. She received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine in 1995 and completed her residency at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine with a major in Pediatrics in 1998. She is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the American Medical Writers Association. Children’s Emergency Care Association.
There are 17 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 27,307 times.
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.
Steps
Recognize the signs of a broken finger
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- If you have questions about the wound or any other questions, contact the clinic.
- 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
- 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
Warning
- Regardless of the advice above, seek medical attention if you think you have a serious injury.
This article was co-written by Laura Marusinec, MD. Marusinec is a licensed pediatrician at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, and she is a member of the Clinical Practice Council. She received her PhD from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine in 1995 and completed her residency at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine with a major in Pediatrics in 1998. She is a member of the American Medical Writers Association and the American Medical Writers Association. Children’s Emergency Care Association.
There are 17 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 27,307 times.
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.
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