Expert Treatment for Broken Toes in North Seattle

Broken toes are a common injury. Perhaps it’s happened to you. Instead of turning on a light in the middle of the night you stumbled in the dark and stubbed your toe on your dresser. Or perhaps you’re an athlete and you injured your toes during active sports.  

No matter how you injured it, the pain can be excruciating. And while it will likely subside over time, you should make an appointment with your podiatrist to have it evaluated. While you may only have bruised it, you could just as easily have fractured it and that requires treatment.

The bones in our toes are comprised of our toes or phalanges and the metatarsal or long bones just in front of them extending into the midfoot.

Traumatic or Acute Broken Toes

Traumatic or acute toe breaks or fractures are caused by sudden impact or a direct blow, such as when you run into a piece of furniture in your house or if you’re on the receiving end of a hockey stick swing. Acute toe fractures can be either displaced or non-displaced. The former would show that the toe has moved out of position and the latter not at all.

These types of injuries almost always affect our toes, not our metatarsal bones. However, there are two types of acute fractures of the 5th metatarsals that occur with some frequency. One is a Jones Fracture and the other is an Avulsion Fracture.

Signs and symptoms of an acute toe fracture can include:

• Intense, throbbing pain at the site of impact with lessening of the pain over several hours
• May hear the bone breaking
• Bruising and swelling
• Stiffness
• Crooked or misshapen appearance
• Difficulty with walking (but not always)

Treatment of Broken Toes in North Seattle

The way toe fractures are treated depends on the type of break. These treatments can include:

• Rest
• Splinting
• Wearing rigid or stiff-soled shoes to keep the toe in place
• Walking boot if rigid shoes aren’t enough
• Buddy taping the broken toe to the one next to it (but this may also be harmful so follow the advice of your podiatrist)
• Surgery

It’s important to get a toe injury of any kind evaluated to get proper treatment. Avoiding treatment or getting the wrong treatment can lead to future problems including:

• Deformity of the toes
• Arthritis
• Chronic pain

Stress Fractures of the Toes

Stress fractures of the toes are hairline fractures typically caused by overuse or repetitive stress. These types of fractures most commonly occur in athletes, particularly those who increase their training time too rapidly. Stress fractures occur most often in the metatarsal bones.

Other causes include:

• Abnormal foot structure
• Women who are post-menopausal
• Underweight in women
• Osteoporosis
• Wearing unstable or worn out footwear

Signs and symptoms of a toe stress fracture include:

• Pain with normal activity or after activity
• Pain that disappears with rest and comes on with activity
• Swelling without bruising

Treatment for Stress Fractures of the Toes

Since stress fractures most often occur in athletes, stopping the sport that led to the fracture is vital to healing. Just like treatment for toe fractures, it’s also important to use a rigid shoe or walking boot to prevent the toes from moving.

Prevention of Stress Fractures of the Toes

Most stress fractures of the toes can be prevented. Here’s how.

• Build up running or other sports activities slowly; no more than 10% increase each week.
• Use custom orthotics to balance abnormal foot structure.
• Wearing supportive, stable shoes.
• Eat a diet rich in calcium and with enough calories to maintain proper weight.
• Get enough Vitamin D to give your body what it needs to keep your bones strong through sun exposure, food, and supplements.

Learn about other types of sports injuries treatments here.

by Dr. Rion Berg

A podiatrist in North Seattle treating families for over 40 years.

TOE AND METATARSAL FRACTURES ( BROKEN TOES)

The structure of the foot is complex, consisting of bones, muscles, tendons, and other soft tissues. Of the 26 bones in the foot, 19 are toe bones (phalanges) and metatarsal bones (the long bones in the midfoot). Fractures of the toe and metatarsal bones are common and require evaluation by a specialist. A foot and ankle surgeon should be seen for proper diagnosis and treatment, even if initial treatment has been received in an emergency room.

What Is a Fracture?


A fracture is a break in the bone. Fractures can be divided into two categories: traumatic fractures and stress fractures.

Traumatic fractures


(also called acute fractures) are caused by a direct blow or impact, such as seriously stubbing your toe. Traumatic fractures can be

displaced

or

non-displaced

. If the fracture is displaced, the bone is broken in such a way that it has changed in position (dislocated).

Signs and symptoms of a traumatic fracture include:

• You may hear a sound at the time of the break.

• “Pinpoint pain” (pain at the place of impact) at the time the fracture occurs and perhaps for a few hours later, but often the pain goes away after several hours.

• Crooked or abnormal appearance of the toe.

• Bruising and swelling the next day.

• It is not true that “if you can walk on it, it’s not broken.” Evaluation by a foot and ankle surgeon is always recommended.

Stress fractures


are tiny, hairline breaks that are usually caused by repetitive stress. Stress fractures often afflict athletes who, for example, too rapidly increase their running mileage. They can also be caused by an abnormal foot structure, deformities, or osteoporosis. Improper footwear may also lead to stress fractures. Stress fractures should not be ignored. They require proper medical attention to heal correctly.

Symptoms of stress fractures include:

• Pain with or after normal activity

• Pain that goes away when resting and then returns when standing or during activity

• “Pinpoint pain” (pain at the site of the fracture) when touched

• Swelling, but no bruising

Consequences of Improper Treatment


Some people say that “the doctor can’t do anything for a broken bone in the foot.” This is usually not true. In fact, if a fractured toe or metatarsal bone is not treated correctly, serious complications may develop. For example:

• A deformity in the bony architecture which may limit the ability to move the foot or cause difficulty in fitting shoes

• Arthritis, which may be caused by a fracture in a joint (the juncture where two bones meet), or may be a result of angular deformities that develop when a displaced fracture is severe or hasn’t been properly corrected

• Chronic pain and deformity

• Non-union, or failure to heal, can lead to subsequent surgery or chronic pain.

Treatment of Toe Fractures


Fractures of the toe bones are almost always traumatic fractures. Treatment for traumatic fractures depends on the break itself and may include these options:

• 
  
  Rest.
  
  
  Sometimes rest is all that is needed to treat a traumatic fracture of the toe.

• 
  
  Splinting.
  
  
  The toe may be fitted with a splint to keep it in a fixed position.

• 
  
  Rigid or stiff-soled shoe.
  
  
  Wearing a stiff-soled shoe protects the toe and helps keep it properly positioned.

• 
  
  “Buddy taping”
  
  
  the fractured toe to another toe is sometimes appropriate, but in other cases it may be harmful.

• 
  
  Surgery.
  
  
  If the break is badly displaced or if the joint is affected, surgery may be necessary. Surgery often involves the use of fixation devices, such as pins.

Treatment of Metatarsal Fractures


Breaks in the metatarsal bones may be either stress or traumatic fractures. Certain kinds of fractures of the metatarsal bones present unique challenges.

For example, sometimes a fracture of the first metatarsal bone (behind the big toe) can lead to arthritis. Since the big toe is used so frequently and bears more weight than other toes, arthritis in that area can make it painful to walk, bend, or even stand.

Another type of break, called a Jones fracture, occurs at the base of the fifth metatarsal bone (behind the little toe). It is often misdiagnosed as an ankle sprain, and misdiagnosis can have serious consequences since sprains and fractures require different treatments. Your foot and ankle surgeon is an expert in correctly identifying these conditions as well as other problems of the foot.

Treatment of metatarsal fractures depends on the type and extent of the fracture, and may include:

• 
  
  Rest.
  
  
  Sometimes rest is the only treatment needed to promote healing of a stress or traumatic fracture of a metatarsal bone.

• 
  
  Avoid the offending activity.
  
  
  Because stress fractures result from repetitive stress, it is important to avoid the activity that led to the fracture. Crutches or a wheelchair are sometimes required to offload weight from the foot to give it time to heal.

• 
  
  Immobilization, casting, or rigid shoe.
  
  
  A stiff-soled shoe or other form of immobilization may be used to protect the fractured bone while it is healing.

• 
  
  Surgery.
  
  
  Some traumatic fractures of the metatarsal bones require surgery, especially if the break is badly displaced.

• 
  
  Follow-up care.
  
  
  Your foot and ankle surgeon will provide instructions for care following surgical or non-surgical treatment. Physical therapy, exercises and rehabilitation may be included in a schedule for return to normal activities.

Fracture of the little toe on the leg: symptoms, types and how to quickly cure

Feet – the part of our body that most often comes into contact with a hard surface. Not surprisingly, a broken little toe is a common injury. It is up to 5% of the total number of fractures. This rather severe injury is often underestimated. This happens because in this situation there is no intense pain syndrome. Without feeling severe pain, the victims do not go to the doctor, believing that the broken little finger will heal itself. However, there is no guarantee that it will heal properly without causing complications.

Contents

Causes

Causes of injury to the little finger – uncontrolled contact with a hard object. A broken little toe as a result of an injury is usually a consequence of its small size and the fragility of the bone that forms it. Therefore, care must be taken when walking and moving the legs, since it is easier to prevent a traumatic situation than to treat its possible consequences for a long time.

Symptoms

Fractures of the little toe are characterized by symptoms that are difficult to confuse with any other. Signs of a fracture of the little finger are as follows:

• bone defect, clearly visible during palpation,
• broken finger is shortened, severe pain with passive movement.

In addition, some non-specific symptoms of a fracture of the little finger are known, indicating the presence of grass. These include:

• pain in the injured part of the foot, aggravated by its movements,
• bruises, bruises, hematomas or even just redness at the site of injury,
• swelling at the site of injury,
• finger takes an unnatural position,
• complete immobility of the finger.

It is not necessary to perform a special check on the condition of the finger, as it causes more pain. The symptoms are quite visible in natural situations.

It is also interesting to read how to identify a broken toe.

Types of fractures

There are two main types of finger fracture – closed and open. The first is not characterized by a violation of the skin. The second forms an open wound, therefore, during emergency care and treatment, disinfection and enhanced hygiene are required, among other measures. A closed fracture of the little finger does not make it necessary to disinfect the damaged area and protect it from infection. Both open and closed injuries of the extremities, accompanied by bone damage, require medical attention.

There are also displaced and non-displaced, complete and incomplete, complex or simple, intra-articular fractures.

Diagnosis

A fracture of the little toe is easily identified by x-ray. Typically, radiography uses both direct and lateral projection. Analyzing an x-ray, one can not only detect a violation of the integrity of the phalanx, but also establish the presence or absence of displacement of the bones. If it is not possible to determine the fracture of the little finger on an x-ray, then the traumatologist diagnoses the injury as a bruise. Other methods for determining a fracture are only preliminary, they are not used in the diagnosis.

First Aid

If the little toe is broken, the first step is to immobilize the leg and fix the damaged area. The leg should not move so that the broken toe does not touch anything. This will help to avoid pain and new injuries. In some cases, to relieve excessive pain, it is recommended to use anesthesia, including medications. Cold compresses and ice packs can also be used as pain relievers. Before the plaster is applied, a fixing bandage will ensure immobility of the finger in case of a fracture, and in the case of an open fracture of the finger, it will isolate the wound and stop the bleeding.

Treatment

There are three ways to cure a broken little toe:

• surgical,
• conservative,
• medical.

Surgery is used when it is necessary to quickly heal the little finger with complex fractures. The bone is exposed and artificially fixed in the correct position. However, in most cases, it is enough to fix a finger that is broken for a long time – for this, a conservative method of applying a cast or splint is used.

Medical treatment

The modern way of medical treatment of injuries is not only painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. These are the latest blood-restoring agents, vitamins, and medicines containing calcium, which contribute to the rapid strengthening of bone tissue.

Traditional treatments

At home, the little finger can be quickly restored using chondroitin, the building material of cartilage and bone. Boiled chicken feet contain the greatest amount of this substance. It is also useful to use products containing eggshells, since it contains calcium, which actively helps with fractures.

An interesting article on how to distinguish a bruised toe from a fracture.

Rehabilitation

Heals a fracture using plaster or another more modern fixative. Walking in a cast with a fracture of the little finger takes 2-4 weeks. Then a month and a half lasts for a recovery period, which should include therapeutic exercises and massage procedures.

Possible Complications

If the little finger does not flex after bone fusion, it may be due to one of the following:

• during fusion, too much callus is formed,
• due to displacement of the bones, a false joint is formed,
• phalanges are fused immovably,
• the bone marrow becomes inflamed.

In all these cases, it is recommended to contact a specialist.

Broken little toe

Forums

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03/27/2013 20:12

Upgrade moderators, don’t move for a while, plz! Girls, tell me, did anyone have such a thing that you broke your little toe on your leg and didn’t put a cast on and didn’t do anything? I have a suspicion that I broke my little finger (I stared at the closet), but it hurts tolerably, it’s just hard to walk, and it’s not deformed. If you don’t go to tarvma, will it heal on its own? Byto who has this?

Anonymous

27.03.2013 20:22

In my opinion, the little finger on the leg is the only thing that can be quite safely broken and not seek medical help. IMHO, gypsum for a month without the possibility of even wearing normal shoes is much more evil than just walking and drinking painkillers with a fracture. Is this your top? http://eva.ru/topic/80/2829925.htm

Anonymous

03/27/2013 20:25

not mine 🙁

Anonymous

27.03.2013 20:47

Just about

Marabou V.I.P.

27.03.2013 20:34

It will grow, only it can be crooked. They would have gone into an injury, maybe a severe bruise, not a fracture. If there is a crack, then the gypsum will not be applied either, most likely.

Cool aunt *

03/27/2013 20:35

he is now the same as he was, only it hurts and bruises. The shape is not bent, like

Anonymous

03/27/2013 20:45

It was. And even 2 times, they grew together themselves, only crookedly.

Marabou V.I.P.

27.03.2013 20:58

overgrows itself. two fingers were broken.

Masyapa C.B.

27.03.2013 22:20

Didn’t you get injured?! Dumb.

Anonymous

27.03.2013 21:04

I broke, didn’t do anything, it’s overgrown. Better go to the injury, business there for 5 minutes.

Anonymous

03/27/2013 21:19

I broke. In the injury, they said that nothing needs to be done, just try to walk less, ideally not walk at all. Lived fine.

Madera Ficus C.B.

27.03.2013 21:58

Oh, sister )) I stared at my child’s fire truck 3 weeks ago. What can I say. I didn’t go into trauma. It was too lazy. The little finger is blue, the foot is a little swollen. The first week I was limping and could not even put on slippers. In the middle of the second week, in felt boots, she could crawl to a neighboring store and take the child to the garden. For the third week, the poet’s soul could not stand it, I put on my mother’s boots (a size larger) and went to the disco :party2:party2:party2 Right now, the finger hurts if you hurt it, but everything is ok.

Ryja-ya C.S.

27.03.2013 22:02

I suspect that I broke it more than once. Once I was very sick, I went to an injury, they took a picture. The doctor said that the bones are small, you can’t really see anything, they will grow back. It hurt, it swelled, several years passed, the finger was crooked and thicker than on the other leg.

Beautiful Brunnhilde C.S.

03/27/2013 22:10

There were several times for each. I usually shoals them. The pain was terrible, I could not walk, everything was fine. Feel, compare, if everything is the same and moves, bends, then everything is fine

everything is fine *

03/27/2013 22:12

It was. Only not the little finger, but the “index” (:-)) on the leg. Fucked, pushing the sofa. I couldn’t go to the doctor – my husband was on a business trip, and he had a baby in his arms. So she stomped. I had such a pshikalka Arnika. She got along just fine. True, the finger was so red-black-blue. But nothing, fucked up.

Cell C.B.

03/28/2013 00:14

It was. Healed. Fine.

Matra C.S.

29.03.2013 04:02

It grows together, but it will hurt for a long time… I broke and my mother too… They constantly knocked down the corner of the bed. In general, plaster is not applied to the little finger. Apply traxivasine to relieve swelling

skuka V.I.P.

04/01/2013 16:44

I had it, my husband had it. healed without plaster. the first 2 years ached for a change in the weather. there is no deformation.

Squaw V.I.P.

03/06/2017 18:04

I had a severe bruise on my little finger, I also thought it was broken. I immediately got on the Internet to read how to properly provide first aid, and found an article – I helped to get rid of swelling and pain at home. Here is the article https://vseonogah.ru/travma/ushib/mizinca-na-noge.html, read and get well!

Alex_EF +

03/07/2017 09:29

omg, why did you raise my top 4 years ago?? Thank you. of course, for the info, but how is it, where did you unearth it ??

Anonymous

03/07/2017 09:53

I think for the sake of advertising. We rummaged through the search engines to find a place where to post.

Anonymous

27.03.2013 21:14

Nothing is put on the broken little toes on the legs, but still go to the injury – you need to know what kind of fracture, if any. And then it will grow in the wrong place or the inflammatory process will begin.

Anonymous

27.03.2013 21:20

Broke 2 times)) Plaster is not applied, a fixing bandage is made – the broken little finger and the neighboring finger are tightly bandaged (it acts as a splint). So you need to walk for three weeks. But you still need to go to the emergency room – to do an x-ray.

mill-len V.I.P.

27.03.2013 21:26

I broke, about two years ago, caught on a chair. The pain was such that I immediately realized that it was not a bruise. Even nauseated. Plaster was applied to the entire foot. Since then, by the way, I don’t go barefoot at home. And a friend broke, they just put a fixing bandage on her, but there was a crack

Ilinok *

27.03.2013 21:27

My daughter broke her little finger on her leg, they put a plaster splint (I don’t know the correct name) on her foot. She was 15 years old and she threw out the cast on the third day. The finger has grown together crookedly, cannot wear normal shoes :(.

K

03/27/2013 22:20

🙁

Anonymous

03/27/2013 22:21

yeah 🙁

Anonymous

27. 03.2013 21:28

Husband broke, mother broke. Gypsum was not applied. The husband inserted a hard insole into the shoes for week 2. Mom managed with a fixing bandage for the first time. In both cases, they went to the doctor, but apart from ascertaining the fact of a fracture, they did nothing.

artist *

27.03.2013 22:36

I didn’t even break my little finger, but my second finger… the bike fell. two days before the championship. nothing, rewound her finger, put on shoes and danced as if nothing had happened. but what is most interesting – I really could not walk … but dance – please. was sick and swollen for another six months after that. now (10+ later) everything is fine.

Anonymous

27.03.2013 22:59

You would find a person who hasn’t broken his little finger yet.

Nach. C.B.

03/29/2013 12:21

I am such a person. There was a bruise once, I immediately took an x-ray, there was no grinding.

ELEN C.G.

30.03.2013 22:32

you know, I didn’t break it at all. I went into an injury, they took a picture, they said a severe bruise.

author

27.03.2013 23:02

I broke my leg and arm at the same time. I went with two casts)))

Earth. C.S.

27.03.2013 23:03

Agas, broke, the current is not the little finger, but the nameless one. Six months have already passed, I can’t walk in shoes for a long time – a sharp reducing pain begins. The doctor was in 4 months, physiotherapy was prescribed

Lanfren-Lanfra C. S.

03/27/2013 11:07 PM

you were told to get hurt *rudeyizzo*

Earth. C.S.

27.03.2013 23:09

And why don’t you do that! (C) I went anyway ))) now I’m waiting for more open shoes /dream about sandals/

Lanfren-Lanfra C.S.

30.03.2013 22:33

You broke such a strategic finger and only after 4 months did you go to the doctor?! Well, you are brave.

author

27.03.2013 23:27

When the little finger is fractured, plaster is not applied, but the finger is fixed to the adjacent finger with a bandage or plaster. Walk as little as possible. It grows together for 3 weeks maximum. Whether there is a fracture or not is very easy to check. If the finger does not bend like the rest, then it’s definitely a fracture. For me, for example, it didn’t hurt especially, and I didn’t hit it so hard, but broke it!

kukundi *

03/28/2013 19:27

+1 She broke herself, with adhesive tape (rolled) attached to the adjacent finger. grown together

MamaMaya **K**

28.03.2013 14:43

It was like that.

28.03.2013 14:48

it turned out that both little fingers on the leg were broken, one guess when, it hurt at the moment when it hit, but the second one when it broke, xs.

Legion V.I.P.

28.03.2013 18:50

My friend had it, she tied it to her next finger and walked like that for a while.

Obana *

03/29/2013 11:26

I was breaking, on my right leg. A picture was taken in the injury, but the cast was not applied. It hurt for a long time.

kathy04 ***

30.03.2013 01:45

I broke my little finger on my leg without displacement, etc., it just hurt and my leg turned blue around, it also swelled up. I spent the whole evening in Sklifa. The doctor took a look and took x-rays. There is no offset. They prescribed traxevasin and loose shoes. It was summer, I ended up wearing flip flops. There was no mention of any plaster. Little fingers are not plastered.

Olya

03/30/2013 22:48

Thank you! I also turned blue and swollen and hurt, an infection, but the doctor said there was no fracture 🙂

author

30.03.2013 22:59

She broke, arrived at the emergency room at night, an old woman doctor looked at her finger, diagnosed a fracture, said it would heal on its own, there was nothing to do, they say, all her little fingers are broken too . .. but you can talk about model shoes forget … To my question “how would it be … to do an x-ray there, maybe something is displaced there”, the answer was that the x-ray is kanesh, but the radiologist is sleeping and if you try to wake him up, then a broken jaw can reach the broken little finger and other parts of the body 🙂 🙂 🙂 and in general, I beg you, let’s not touch it, because. you only have a little finger, and I still have to work with him the whole shift)))))

Drunk Pokémon V.I.P.

03/31/2013 08:51

I have a great experience! She broke her toes four times. Once, three pieces on one leg at once – except for the big and little fingers. They ran with the child, played, I did not fit into the doorway 🙂 one of the fingers was even offset (the picture showed). Other cases – one finger at a time. She drew conclusions from her experience, now she is a “professor” herself, the last time she did not go to the doctor. Signs: the finger does not just turn blue, but almost blackens. and swelling is strong. I’m not talking about pain. That is, the bruise is very, very dark. Just blue – it’s most likely a severe bruise. But it’s better to take a picture. No treatment is needed. All that the doctor told me, and he seemed to be an experienced orthopedist, was to rest as much as possible, and to walk in spacious shoes with very hard, better rigid soles. It was summer (after all, I was breaking barefoot), I found flip flops with thick soles. A week later, I even drove a car, but it was a little painful to press the pedal.

Anonymous

31.03.2013 13:20

I broke three times, probably 🙂 Everything is fine, it grew together without problems, without doctors.

Anonymous

03/07/2017 00:31

a child broke his little finger while playing beach soccer in the summer.