How do you recognize a broken pinky finger. What are the best treatment options for a fractured little finger. When should you seek medical care for a finger injury. How long does it take for a broken pinky to heal.

Understanding Broken Pinky Fingers: Causes and Symptoms

Finger injuries are incredibly common, with the pinky finger being particularly vulnerable due to its position on the outer edge of the hand. A broken pinky finger, also known as a fractured fifth metacarpal, can occur from various causes, including sports injuries, accidents, or even seemingly minor incidents like jamming the finger against a hard surface.

Recognizing the symptoms of a broken pinky finger is crucial for proper treatment and recovery. The most common signs include:

• Immediate pain following trauma
• Visible deformity of the finger
• Swelling and redness
• Difficulty moving the finger
• Bruising (in severe cases)
• Numbness (if swelling compresses nerves)

Is it possible to move a broken pinky finger? While you may still have some range of motion, attempting to bend a broken finger is usually painful and not recommended. Even if the pain is dull, it’s essential to have the injury properly evaluated by a medical professional.

Diagnosing a Broken Pinky Finger: The Importance of X-rays

Accurate diagnosis of a broken pinky finger requires medical attention and imaging. X-rays are the primary diagnostic tool used to confirm a fracture and determine its severity. Here’s what you need to know about the diagnostic process:

• X-rays provide clear images of bone structures
• They help determine the type and location of the fracture
• Multiple views may be taken to assess the injury fully
• X-rays guide treatment decisions

Can a broken pinky be diagnosed without an X-ray? While experienced healthcare providers may suspect a fracture based on physical examination, an X-ray is necessary to confirm the diagnosis and guide appropriate treatment.

Immediate Care for a Suspected Broken Pinky Finger

If you suspect you’ve broken your pinky finger, taking immediate action can help manage pain and prevent further injury. Follow these steps while seeking medical attention:

1. Apply ice to reduce swelling (wrap ice in a towel to protect the skin)
2. Create a temporary splint using a popsicle stick or pen to immobilize the finger
3. Elevate the hand above heart level to minimize swelling
4. Avoid attempting to realign the finger yourself
5. Seek medical care at an urgent care facility or emergency department

Should you try to “pop” a potentially broken pinky back into place? No, attempting to realign a broken finger without medical expertise can cause further damage. Always leave this to trained professionals.

Treatment Options for a Broken Pinky Finger

The treatment for a broken pinky finger depends on the fracture’s stability and severity. Here are the main approaches used by medical professionals:

Conservative Treatment

For stable fractures, conservative treatment may be sufficient:

• Buddy taping: Securing the injured finger to an adjacent finger
• Splinting: Using a custom-made or prefabricated splint
• Rest and immobilization for 4-6 weeks
• Gradual return to normal activities

Surgical Intervention

Unstable or complex fractures may require surgical treatment:

• Closed reduction: Realigning the bones without making an incision
• Open reduction: Surgically realigning the bones
• Internal fixation: Using pins, plates, or screws to stabilize the fracture
• Post-operative care and rehabilitation

How long does it take for a broken pinky finger to heal? Typically, healing takes 4-6 weeks, but full recovery and return to normal activities may take several months, depending on the severity of the fracture and the treatment method used.

Rehabilitation and Recovery After a Broken Pinky Finger

Proper rehabilitation is crucial for regaining full function of your pinky finger after a fracture. The recovery process typically involves:

1. Following your doctor’s instructions for immobilization
2. Attending follow-up appointments to monitor healing
3. Gradual reintroduction of movement as directed by your healthcare provider
4. Physical therapy exercises to improve strength and flexibility
5. Modifying activities to prevent re-injury during the healing process

What exercises can help recover from a broken pinky finger? Once your doctor gives approval, gentle range-of-motion exercises, finger bends, and grip-strengthening activities can be beneficial. Always follow your healthcare provider’s guidance to avoid complications.

Potential Complications of Broken Pinky Fingers

While most broken pinky fingers heal well with proper treatment, complications can occur. Being aware of potential issues can help you seek timely intervention if needed:

• Joint stiffness due to prolonged immobilization
• Malunion: Improper alignment of the healed bone
• Delayed union or nonunion: Slow or incomplete healing
• Post-traumatic arthritis
• Infection (especially after surgical treatment)
• Complex regional pain syndrome (rare)

How can you prevent complications from a broken pinky finger? Strictly following your doctor’s instructions, attending all follow-up appointments, and participating in recommended rehabilitation exercises are key to minimizing the risk of complications.

Long-term Outlook and Returning to Normal Activities

The long-term prognosis for a broken pinky finger is generally excellent, provided proper treatment and rehabilitation are followed. Here’s what you can expect:

• Most patients regain full function within 3-4 months
• Gradual return to normal activities, including sports
• Possible residual stiffness that improves over time
• Minimal long-term impact on hand function in most cases

When can you resume normal activities after a broken pinky finger? The timeline varies depending on the severity of the fracture and your individual healing process. Always consult your healthcare provider before returning to strenuous activities or sports.

Preventing Finger Fractures: Safety Tips and Precautions

While accidents can happen, taking preventive measures can reduce your risk of experiencing a broken pinky finger or other hand injuries:

1. Wear appropriate protective gear during sports and high-risk activities
2. Use proper techniques when handling tools or equipment
3. Be cautious of pinch points and crushing hazards
4. Maintain good bone health through proper nutrition and exercise
5. Address any underlying conditions that may increase fracture risk

Are some people more prone to finger fractures? Individuals with osteoporosis, certain medical conditions, or those participating in high-impact sports may be at higher risk. Discussing your individual risk factors with a healthcare provider can help you take appropriate precautions.

Understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for broken pinky fingers empowers you to make informed decisions about your health. Remember, prompt medical attention and following through with prescribed treatment and rehabilitation are key to achieving the best possible outcome. If you suspect a broken finger, don’t hesitate to seek professional medical care to ensure proper diagnosis and treatment.

Broken Finger

Broken Finger Overview

Fingers let us touch, grasp, and interact with our environment, and they are easily injured. In fact, they are the most frequently injured part of the hand. Injuries may range from simple bruises or contusions to broken bones. In addition, injury to or dislocation of the knuckles, which are the joints formed by the bones of the fingers, are common with trauma to the hand.

Broken Finger Symptoms

Broken fingers rarely go unnoticed. Frequently, you have immediate pain after trauma and sometimes a deformed finger either at a joint (commonly a dislocation) or through the bone as a fracture. If there is no deformity, a person will typically feel a sharp pain at the injury site.

You may not always be sure the finger is broken and try to bend it. If it’s broken, doing so will usually be painful. Don’t be fooled if you can still move the finger. In some cases, there may still be some range of motion and only dull pain. Fractures are common, and how bad they hurt typically depends on their stability.

Usually within the next 5-10 minutes, you will notice swelling and redness. As the swelling continues, the finger will become stiff and difficult to move. Swelling may also spread to the adjacent fingers.

If the fracture is severe, you may see bruising. And if the swelling gets too massive, the finger may become numb as nerves in the fingers are compressed.

Seeking Medical Care

The best place to find medical treatment for a broken finger is an urgent care facility or a hospital’s emergency department. These facilities are dedicated to the care of such injuries and have the needed equipment and supplies for X-ray evaluation and splinting if needed.

Treatment

Temporary splinting, ice, and pain control are helpful supportive treatments. Make a splint to immobilize your finger even if that means putting a popsicle stick or pen next to it and wrapping something around the stick and your finger.

Apply ice to the injured finger as you head to an emergency department. Do not apply ice directly to your skin. Put a towel between the ice and your finger.

A doctor will need an X-ray to evaluate the broken finger bones. Treatment depends on the type of fracture and the individual bone or bones in the finger that are injured. The emergency doctor or an orthopedic surgeon will assess the stability of the broken finger. If the fracture is stable, treatment may be as simple as splinting 1 finger to another by taping them together. The splint will be left in place for about 4 weeks followed by an additional 2 weeks with no strenuous exercise.

If the fracture is unstable, the injured finger will need to be immobilized. Immobilization can be done in several different ways. The simplest is to apply a splint after aligning the fracture fragments. This usually does not maintain enough stability, so a surgical procedure may be needed.

Surgical options range from pinning the bones with small wires to open procedures using plates and screws to keep the bones in place. The surgeon will discuss the options with you and explain which procedure might be considered best and why.

Next Steps: Follow-up

You will most likely leave the hospital with some type of splint or dressing. It is very important not to disturb your splint. It keeps the fractured finger in the correct position for healing. You’ll also need to keep the dressing clean, dry, and elevated in order to decrease the swelling.

Activity may aggravate your injury and cause increased pain, so it is best not to use the injured hand until your follow-up appointment with your orthopedic surgeon.

Your surgeon or doctor may want to see you about one week after your injury for another X-ray to evaluate the position of the fracture fragments. It is extremely important to keep this appointment. If the finger is not aligned correctly, it may affect the healing of your finger and cause permanent disability.

In rare cases after a surgical procedure, an infection may occur. The signs of infection are fever, increasing redness, swelling, severe pain in the finger, discharge of pus, or a foul smell from the surgery site. If these symptoms occur, go to the emergency department immediately to be evaluated.

Prevention

The best prevention for finger fractures is safety. Most fingers are broken by machines or as a result of sporting injuries. Remember to always use safety equipment when doing activities that may injure your hands. Despite all efforts and precautions, injuries do occur and should be evaluated as soon possible.

Outlook

After treatment and 4 to 6 weeks of healing, the prognosis for the bones coming together and healing properly is excellent.

• The most common problem encountered is joint stiffness. Immobilizing the fingers can result in the capsule and surrounding tissue forming a scar around the joint. It becomes a race to heal the bone before the joint becomes too stiff and a decrease in motion occurs.
• Many people may require physical therapy (preferably with a hand therapist) for range of motion exercises. If you are one of them, it is important for you to continue the therapy and exercises because range of motion can continue to improve for up to a year after the injury and treatment.

Multimedia

Media file 1: Broken finger. A severe fracture of the proximal phalanx of the small finger. This bone is broken in many small fragments and very unstable. This injury occurred in an automobile accident but also can be seen in any traumatic incident. Because it is unstable, surgery was needed. In this type of injury, the surgeon may use either pins or plates and screws for repair. The pins would stay in for about 4-6 weeks, and plates and screws would be removed only if bothersome.

Media file 2: Broken finger. This x-ray shows an oblique (diagonal) fracture through the proximal phalanx of the ring finger. Notice how the fracture tends to slip or shorten (arrow). Not only does this fracture shorten, but rotational deformities are also seen. Usually it is not stable enough for just taping to adjoining fingers, and surgery may be needed.

Media file 3: Broken finger. This x-ray was taken in the operating room after pinning of a fracture similar to the one in picture 2. The x-ray shows how the multiple small pins hold the fracture in anatomic alignment, and the shortening is gone. This will maintain stability until the fracture is healed. The pins may be removed in 4-6 weeks.

Media file 4: Broken finger. A typical fracture at the end of the small finger metacarpal is shown in this x-ray. The fragment is most always flexed toward the palm as seen in this x-ray. Most typically this fracture is caused by a closed fist striking an object. This commonly is called a boxer’s (or brawler’s) fracture. Treatment of this fracture usually is conservative casting. Don’t be alarmed by the angulation of the bone. It is usually only cosmetic, and hand function should be normal after the bone heals.

Media file 5: Broken finger. This x-ray illustrates a common fracture of the distal phalanx. It is an injury where the distal phalanx is forced toward the palm and resisted by the pull of the extensor tendon. This is very common in sporting events in which a ball strikes the end of the finger (often called mallet finger). These injuries are either bony (as seen) or involve ligaments. Treatment is splinting or surgical pinning of the distal phalanx. This injury may take a long time to heal and must be watched closely. Despite every effort to heal, a residual lag may continue after treatment. This usually is cosmetic only and does not affect grip strength.

Media file 6: Broken finger. This is an x-ray of an oblique (diagonal) fracture of a metacarpal. These injuries occur from a twisting or crush injury to the hand. They are common to machining and workplace injuries as well as direct trauma. There are many different muscles and tendons that may accentuate this fracture causing shortening or angulation toward the palm. Treatment may consist of either casting with close observation or a surgical procedure for stability of the fracture. This would depend on the severity of the fracture seen on the x-ray.

5 Signs You Have a Broken Finger (And What to Do About It)

About 38.4 percent of all broken bones are broken fingers. Your finger might be broken, and you don’t even know it. That’s because you can still move around a broken finger.

If your finger is injured, in most cases you will want to seek medical attention as soon as possible. You also want to make sure you do everything you can to prevent infections or making your injury worse.

Keep reading to learn more about the symptoms of a broken finger, and what you should do after a finger injury.

The most accurate way to determine if you have a broken finger is to consult with your doctor. In the meantime, here are five signs your finger might be broken.

1. Immediate Pain

The most tell-tale symptom of a broken finger is immediate pain after the injury. If the pain and swelling prevent movement or use of the fingers, there’s crushed tissue or exposed bone, then you should seek medical attention.

2. There’s Still Some Movement

A fracture will be painful, whereas a broken finger could still have some movement to it, and duller pain. It all depends on fracture stability, as some fractures can be more painful than others.

3. Bruising And Swelling

Usually, after five to ten minutes, there will be bruising and swelling. The swelling can even affect the adjacent fingers too.

4. Stiff Fingers

The finger will also stiffen. You might notice numbness of the fingers either from the trauma of the injury or because swelling compresses the finger’s nerves.

If you have a fingertip fracture, which is called a distal phalanx fracture can happen from and smashing injuries involving the fingernail.

These symptoms include a bruising or swelling of the finger pad. Usually, there will also be purple-colored blood under the fingernail known as subungual hematoma.

5. Exposed Bone

In some cases, the trauma can be so severe that the bone can becomes exposed through the soft tissues. This is called a compound fracture, and you should seek medical attention immediately.

How Common Are Broken Fingers?

Broken fingers are some of the most common traumatic injuries in an emergency room. This is because fingers are easily injured. The most common finger fractures occur in the bones located in the palm of the hand (metacarpal bones) on the finger bones (phalanxes).

This makes sense since fingers are used for everyday activities. There’s a higher chance that your fingers can get injured compared to other parts of your body.  Finger injuries happen a lot during the workplace and sports injuries, as well as during other accidents.

It’s important to understand the anatomy of the fingers and hand to understand the different types of finger injuries and how to treat them.

The hand is made up of three parts: the wrist, the palm, and fingers.

The Wrist

Your wrist is made up of eight bones. These bones move together to allow a vast range of motion in the wrist.

The Palm

Your palm or mid-hand is made up of metacarpal bones. These bones have muscular attachments. The bridge of your wrist as the individual fingers. These bones are commonly injured during direct trauma like a crush or punching injury.

The Fingers

As we mentioned earlier, these are the most frequently injured part of the hand. Fingers are made up of ligaments that are strong supportive tissue that connects bone to bone.

Fingers are also composed of tendons which attach the tissue from muscle to the bone. There are also three phalanxes (bones). There are no muscles in the fingers, as they move by the pull of the forearm muscles on the tendons.

There are three bones in each finger that are named due to their relationship to the palm of the hand. The first bone is the one closest to the palm, and it’s called the proximal phalanx.

Next, there’s the second bone or the middle phalanx, which is on all fingers but the thumb. Lastly, there’s the distal phalanx which is the smallest bone and the farthest from the hand.

Knuckles

Knuckles are joints that are formed by bones of the fingers that can be injured or dislocated due to any trauma on the hand.

The first and biggest knuckle is the junction that is between the fingers and hand called the metacarpophalangeal joint or MCP. This joint’s fracture is called a boxer’s fracture, as it commonly gets injured due to the closed fist activities.

The next knuckle is out towards the fingernail and is called the proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP). This joint can get dislocated in sporting events when an object or ball directly strikes the finger.

The farthest joint on the finger is called the distal interphalangeal joint (DIP). Usually, injuries to this joint include a torn tendon (avulsion) injury or fracture.

When Should I See a Doctor?

The treatment of broken fingers depends on what bone is injured and what kind of fracture you’re dealing with. The orthopedic surgeon on an emergency doctor will determine how stable your broken finger is.

Stable Fractures

If the fracture is stable, then the treatment could be as simple as buddy taping or splinting one finger to another. This could last for about four weeks, and maybe two more, and you shouldn’t do any strenuous exercise during recovery.

Unstable Fractures

If your fracture isn’t stable, then the injured finger will need to be immobilized. There are a few different ways you can symbolize a finger.

First is simply with a splint, which can realign the fracture fragments. If this doesn’t help stability, then a surgical procedure might need to happen.

Seek Medical Attention Immediately If

After an injury, if swelling and pain still limit the use of your fingers, or your fingers become numb, then you will want to seek medical attention.

If your injury includes crushed tissue, laceration, exposed bone, you must go to the emergency room or seek medical care immediately.

Some fractures can be subtle and the pain might be bearable. But if you suspect that your finger might be fractured, you should seek medical attention.

How Is A Broken Finger Diagnosed?

The main tool to diagnose broken fingers is with an X-ray. The doctor will need to do an X-ray to see the position of the broken finger bones.

For more complex injuries, the doctor might need to get the advice of an orthopedic whos specializes with bones and joints. Or your doctor might need to consult with a hand surgeon.

What Is The Treatment For A Broken Finger?

Broken fingers should only be treated by a medical professional. However, you can reduce the pain and stabilize your injury on the way to get medical attention.

At-Home Treatment

You will want to first make a splint to immobilize the finger. You can do this by placing a pen or popsicle stick next to the finger, and then wrap something around the stick and finger.

Be sure that you wrap loosely as if your finger is wrapped too tightly, it can cause more swelling and could cut off your circulation. Keep your finger elevated. Before any swelling happens, make sure that you remove any rings or jewelry from the hand that is affected.

You’ll want to then apply ice to the injured finger, as you head to an emergency room. Don’t apply ice directly to the skin, wrap a towel around the ice.

Medical Treatment

Your doctor will assess the stability of your broken finger. Treatment of your broken finger depends on what bone is injured and what type of fracture that you’re dealing with.

If it turns out you have a stable fracture, meaning it won’t get worse or complications won’t happen if you move your finger, then you might just need buddy taping. This is when your finger is splinted to another with tape.

Buddy taping should stay for about four weeks, then two more weeks of not using your finger. If you have an unstable fracture, then your finger will need to be immobilized.

You might need a split after reduction which is when the fractured fragments are re-aligned. If this doesn’t help with stability, then surgery might be needed.

Your surgeon will have different techniques of surgical immobilization. This could range from pinning the fracture with small wires, to a procedure involving screws and plates.

You will likely leave the hospital with some sort of splint that immobilizes you. Keep this clean and elevated, and try not to use your hand for at least one-week post-injury.

If your finger isn’t aligned properly, this could affect the healing of your finger and leave you with a permanent disability.

When Does A Broken Finger Need Surgery?

If your finger needs surgery, then you will leave the hospital with a splint or dressing. It’s important that you don’t disturb the splint. Your splint is what is holding your fractured finger in the right position to encourage healing.

Keep your finger’s dressing clean, elevated and dry to decrease swelling. Any activity can hurt the injury and increase pain. So it’s best that you don’t use your injured hand until you have your follow-up appointment with your hand specialist.

Follow-Up

You hand specialist might want to see you about a week after the injury happened for another x-ray. Here they will evaluate the position of your fracture fragments.

It’s important to make this appointment. If your finger isn’t correctly aligned this could affect how your finger heals and leave your hand permanently disabled.

There are some rare cases where after surgery, an infection can happen. You will know you have an infection if you have a fever, swelling, increased redness, and intense pain in the finger.

Other signs of an infection include a pus discharge and a foul smell from the injury. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you will need to immediately seek medical attention.

Complications Of A Broken Finger

After immobilization, reduction, and healing for four to six weeks, there’s a good chance that your broken finger will now be healed. The most common problem after broken finger treatment is joint stiffness.

This is because of scar tissue formation and due to the immobilization period. You might need physical therapy from a hand therapist to help repair your hand’s range of motion.

You might realize that rotation happens when one of your finger bones rotates abnormally while it’s healing. This can lead to decreased ability to use your injured finger, such as when you are trying to grasp something. This can also cause a deformity.

There can also be a complication with some fractures called “nonunion.” This is when two ends of the bone don’t heal properly. This leaves the fractured area unstable.

Another complication could be if the skin is injured or if you need surgery. Sometimes an infection can happen after surgery, especially if you don’t let your finger properly rest and heal.

How Can A Broken Finger Be Prevented?

The best way to prevent your finger from getting fractured or broken is to practice safety, especially during sports and in the workplace. Most fingers get broken from machines while playing sports, or trauma that is self-inflicted like punching something.

Which is why it is so key to always use the right safety equipment when you’re doing any dangerous activity. As for sports, making sure you are wearing the proper safety equipment and practicing proper form is the best way to prevent a finger injury.

Always be sure you’re using the right safety equipment whenever you are participating in an injury that can put the safety of your hand or fingers in jeopardy.

If you get injured, don’t wait. Make sure you evaluate the injury as soon as possible and seek medical attention if needed.

Treat Your Broken Finger Now

Now that you know broken fingers are more common than you think. Try to keep your fingers safe, especially during sports or while operating machinery.

If you suspect that your finger is broken or fractured, be sure to treat it immediately, and seek medical attention if needed. Once your finger has been treated, make sure you follow the steps we suggested so your broken finger doesn’t get an infection or get worse.

For more medical resources and advice, check out our blog.

The specialists at Hand Surgery Specialists of Texas have extensive experience diagnosing and treating broken fingers.  They will take the time to identify the source of your symptoms and thoroughly discuss your treatment options. Call (713) 686-7166 to schedule an appointment at one of their many offices in Houston, TX today!

Is It Broken? What You Need to Know About Finger Fractures

So you’ve smashed your finger performing an everyday task like closing a door, catching a ball or using a tool. Now you’re in pain, and it doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. It’s only natural to start to wonder: is my finger broken?

The physicians at Barrington Orthopedic Specialists treat finger injuries on a regular basis, and many will heal on their own. However, it’s important to know the difference between pain from a temporary jam and a potential fracture that needs immediate medical attention, or even surgery. Here are some frequently-asked questions about finger fractures that can help you understand your injury:

What are some common causes of broken fingers?

Your hands are one of the most hardworking parts of your body, which also means they’re one of the easiest parts to injure. Finger fractures often occur as a result of breaking a fall with your hands, catching a ball without proper protection, being careless with power tools and other equipment, and accidentally jamming your finger when closing a door. Additionally, hand injuries are one of the most common workplace injuries in the United States, second only to back injuries.

How do I know if my finger is broken?

Whenever you injure your finger, you may feel pain, swelling or stiffness when trying to move the affected digit. However, there are a few particularly telltale signs that point to a fracture:

• The fracture site is very swollen
• The affected finger appears unnatural or deformed
• The fracture site is tender and bruised
• You have difficulty moving the affected finger completely

If you notice any of these symptoms in your injured finger, it’s time to visit a specialist. Dr. Matthew Bernstein and Dr. Mark Yaffe are experienced hand specialists at Barrington Orthopedic Specialists. To learn more about our physicians, visit our list of providers. For urgent needs when our physician’s office is closed, we offer an immediate orthopedic care clinic.

If my finger isn’t broken, what might be wrong with it? 

If you’ve examined your hand and you aren’t showing the symptoms of a fracture, your finger is most likely jammed or sprained. A finger jam can usually be treated with over-the-counter NSAIDs and ice to reduce swelling, though severe sprains may require a splint to ensure the ligaments heal correctly. 

It’s also possible that your finger could be dislocated, especially if your finger appears crooked or feels numb. In this case immediate treatment is needed to properly evaluate and possibly reduce the dislocation. Waiting to treat a dislocated finger can result in long-term difficulties, including loss of movement or sensation.

How will an orthopedic specialist treat my finger fracture?

Luckily, most broken finger bones can be treated without the need for surgery. Your fracture may require a splint or cast to protect it from further injury and ensure it heals in the correct position. If your splint also inhibits the fingers next to the one that has been injured, don’t be surprised — this provides additional support to your broken finger as it heals. 

In some cases, including a severe break or a more complex type of fracture, your doctor may recommend surgery to move your finger bones back where they belong. If you do require surgery, your orthopedic surgeon may use pins, screws or wires in your finger to hold the bones together from within.

If you’ve injured your finger and you fear it may be broken, schedule an appointment with Dr. Matthew Bernstein or Dr. Mark Yaffe, our hand specialists at Barrington Orthopedic Specialists.  Our team of orthopedic hand specialists will get you the quick diagnosis and treatment you need to start recovering now.  For urgent needs when our physician’s office is closed, visit our Immediate Orthopedic Care (IOC) clinic in Schaumburg, Illinois. Have questions? Contact us today.

Did I Break My Finger? How to Spot a Finger Fracture

Who among us has never felt the searing, burning pain of slamming their finger into a door? Sometimes, especially when it first happens, this event can hurt so much that we fear the worst, turning to whoever is closest and asking, “Do you think it’s broken?” Our fingers are made up of multiple tiny bones, and fractures aren’t uncommon — but how do you know if your finger is truly broken, or if it just really hurts?

At OAA Orthopedic Specialists, our board-certified, fellowship trained hand and upper extremity specialists treat all types of finger injuries every single day, and fractures are no exception. Here are some questions you might ask yourself if you’re afraid your finger may be broken:

How Might I Have Broken a Finger?

We use our hands to complete so many tasks each day, it’s no wonder that there are endless ways you can potentially injure them. When specifically looking at what can potentially cause a finger fracture, you might think about the following events:

• Catching a ball without appropriate protection during sports, such as baseball or softball.
• Closing a door or lid on your finger and “jamming” it.
• Improperly using power tools and other types of machinery or equipment.
• Falling down and using your hands to catch yourself, which is an involuntary reflex many of us have.

Many people who injure their fingers also do so in the context of the workplace, especially in industries such as package handling and construction. In fact, hand injuries are the second most common workplace injuries in the United States, just behind back injuries in their frequency.

What Are Some Common Symptoms of a Broken Finger?

Not all finger injuries are fractures, and you may feel pain, swelling or stiffness in your finger after any number of traumas have occured. That said, there are certain particular indicators of a fracture that you should look out for if you fear your finger may be broken:

• Your affected finger is bent into a strange or unnatural position
• There’s excessive swelling in one localized area
• There’s significant tenderness and bruising in one localized area
• Your pain is exceptionally severe
• You’re finding it difficult to move the affected finger

If any of these symptoms sound familiar, it’s time to get your hand examined by an orthopedic professional. At OAA Orthopedic Specialists, our team of hand and upper extremity specialists can help you reach an accurate diagnosis and get started on your treatment plan.

What Else Might’ve Happened to My Finger?

As we’ve said, not every finger injury is a fracture. If you’ve gone through the checklist above and it doesn’t seem to be quite so severe, there may be something else going on with your finger that could still benefit from medical attention. 

The most common finger injuries you may deal with apart from fractures are jams and sprains. If your finger is jammed, you most likely don’t need to go to the doctor — just take the appropriate dose of over-the-counter pain relievers and use ice to reduce any swelling that may occur. Of course, if your symptoms persist, it’s time to make sure nothing more serious is going on. Sprains can be another story, and you should let a doctor take a look in order to determine if you need a splint to help your ligaments heal in the right position. 

Finally, it’s possible that your finger could be dislocated rather than fractured. If your finger feels more numb than painful and appears crooked or out of place, you’ll need to receive an immediate evaluation from a specialist and begin treatment as soon as you can.

If you fear your finger may be broken or dislocated, do not wait to see the doctor! When left untreated, broken and dislocated fingers can cause serious problems in the long term, including permanent loss of movement and sensation. Call on the specialists at OAA to help you reach an accurate diagnosis and begin treating your injury as soon as possible.

If you’ve injured your finger, hand, or wrist, the upper extremity team at OAA is here to help. Reach out to us for an exam and accurate diagnosis from a board-certified professional. If you’re ready to start living pain-free, schedule an appointment with us today!

Jammed Finger vs. Broken Finger: How to Tell the Difference

Fingers may be small, but when they’re injured, the pain can be intense. To add insult to injury, small daily actions from holding a fork or spoon to being able to take care of personal hygiene, become a huge burden.

While some injuries may be minor and heal on their own, others require prompt medical attention to avoid complications, such as deformity or stiffness. But do you know the difference between a jammed and a broken finger?

Jammed Finger or Broken Finger?

While both injuries are painful, they entail trauma to different parts of the finger. A jammed finger occurs when a person injures one of the finger joints. It’s what usually happens when you shut a door or a drawer on your hand.

On the other hand, a broken or fractured finger occurs when the finger bone actually cracks. The type of injury can range from a hairline fracture to broken bone that pierces the skin.

Jammed Finger vs. Broken Finger Symptoms

If it’s a jammed finger: When a person jams a finger, he or she will experience pain, redness, and the finger will feel weak. Depending on the force of trauma, the finger may also swell and lose some of its range of motion.

If it’s a broken or fractured finger: If the finger is fractured, the swelling will last for days. In addition, it may extend to parts of the hand surrounding the finger. The area will also bruise, giving the finger a bluish or purple hue. The finger may also look slightly deformed or out of place. In addition, you won’t be able to move a broken finger (or only be able to move it lightly).

Jammed Finger vs. Broken Finger Treatment & Healing Time

For a jammed finger: If you’ve jammed your finger, ice it for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, then immobilize it without the ice. If the pain is too uncomfortable or disruptive, take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as Ibuprofen. The finger should heal within one or two weeks.

For a broken finger: If you have a broken finger, an orthopedic doctor will immobilize it with a cast. How long you’ll have to wear it depends on the damage, and it’s possible that the doctor includes the fingers next to the broken one in the cast to provide it with extra support. If the injury was severe enough and the bone pierced the skin, you’ll need closely monitored follow-up treatment to prevent infection.

What Happens If You Leave a Broken Finger Untreated?

Failing to get medical treatment for a broken finger can result in several complications, including permanent stiffness, damage to capillaries, or hand deformity. Along with long-term complications, having a broken finger is debilitating. It can quickly cause day-to-day tasks to become painful and difficult, while the opportunity for a worsened injury is also more prominent upon not taking proper precautions.

Emergency Services in Pearl, Alamo Heights, and La Vernia, TX

If you injured a finger, let us help you!

At the Emergency Clinic, we have three convenient locations across the greater San Antonio and La Vernia areas. Texas residents can count on our experienced doctors, nurses, and technicians to provide high-quality medical care.

Find the nearest Emergency Clinic location by visiting us online or calling today!

Alamo Heights Emergency Clinic: 210-930-4500
By the Pearl Emergency Clinic: 210-961-4118
La Vernia Emergency Clinic: 830-779-3200

Jammed vs Broken Finger: How to Tell the Difference

Fingers. They may be small, but what a major part they play in everything we do: getting dressed, eating, driving, buying groceries, bathing… So when you injure any of them, things can get exasperating pretty fast.

That said, sometimes, an injury results in a jammed finger, which may have a quick fix, while other injuries may result in a fracture.

In the interest of providing you with adequate care, below is a summary of how to tell whether you have a jammed or broken finger.

How to Tell if Your Finger is Jammed or Broken

If you injure any of the joints in your digits, you’ll have a jammed finger. It’s the type of injury you may experience if you shut a door or a drawer on your hand. A jammed finger is also possible when a forceful impact pushes your fingers into your hand, injuring the ligaments.

On the other hand (no pun intended, but it fits), a broken finger causes extreme pain. The kind of pain that will make you question life. However, there are several types of broken bones, ranging from a stress fracture, to the kind of injury where the bone pierces the skin.

Symptoms of a Jammed Finger

If you have a jammed finger, symptoms will include:

• Sharp pain
• Redness
• Swelling of the injured joint
• Weakness of the finger
• Difficulty grabbing objects

Symptoms of a Broken Finger

If you have a broken finger, symptoms will include:

• Excruciating pain
• Bruising
• Significant swelling
• Unable to move that finger

Diagnosis & Treatment for a Jammed or Broken Finger

To confirm if there’s been a fracture, your doctor will order X-Rays of your hand.

Jammed Finger Treatment

If the finger is jammed, the following are conservative treatment options:

• Icing the injured joint for 20 minutes at a time
• Immobilize the finger by taping it to the finger next to it or wearing a splint
• Keep finger elevated by wearing a sling
• Take over-the-counter pain relievers

Keep the finger immobilized and at chest level for at least two weeks. However, you can stop icing it as soon as the swelling goes down for good.

Broken Finger Treatment

If the fracture is minor, the doctor will immobilize it with a cast or a splint. It may be possible to include the fingers next to the injured one in the cast to provide additional support.

• Ice the finger, but do not apply ice directly. Use a towel or rag around the ice.
• Wear the cast for about four weeks. You’ll also likely need follow-up X-rays to confirm healing before removing it.
• If you’re only wearing a splint, follow your doctor’s instructions.
• Take over-the-counter pain relievers.

For more severe injuries, surgery may be necessary to realign the bone. It’s also important to note that if the bone pierced the skin, there’s a likelihood of developing a fever and/or infection. If this occurs, seek emergency care immediately.

Complications for a Jammed Finger

Complications for a jammed finger include damage to veins, permanent stiffness of the finger, post-traumatic arthritis, or deformity of the joint.

Complications for a Fractured Finger

Complications for a fractured finger include reduced range of motion, which can be treated with physical therapy. Other complications include deformity or nonunion, which are results of not receiving care promptly.

Finally, if a person is a smoker, diabetic, or has kidney issues, he or she could also develop osteomyelitis, which is an infection of the bone.

24-Hour Emergency Room Services in Colorado Springs and Texas

If you have an injured finger, let us help you. If you have questions or need immediate treatment, your nearest Complete Care location is ready to help, no matter the time of day or night. We offer a variety of services to help you and your family in your time of need. No appointments are necessary.

Determining Whether Your Finger Is Bent or Broken

Of all the parts of our bodies, fingers are some of the most vulnerable to injury. Most of our day we are using our hands for most every task. It starts with moving around our blankets to get up out of bed, and runs through food prep, eating, working, and brushing our teeth before we go to bed at night. During any part of our daily routine, our fingers could get bent, smashed, twisted, or injured in some other way. These injuries can be a bit confusing because the finger is such an intricate area of our body.

We may notice soreness on part of our finger or a bruise we hadn’t seen before, but not know where it came from. Since our fingers are a part of everything we do, day in and day out, we need to know when to tell if a finger is simply bruised, bent, or completely broken. Not all symptoms are easy to decipher or point to one specific finger problem. Our fingers are very fragile during all of our daily activities. Be it a sports-related injury or an accident during your normal daily routine; injured fingers are a common occurrence.

Broken or Bruised?

As easy as it is to sustain a finger injury, it is not as easy to diagnose. It is easy to mistake a broken finger for just a bruised finger. How can you tell if your finger is broken or not? Realistically, you need to have your finger imaged to be able to fully diagnose a broken finger. The integrity is lost in a broken finger bone. The injury could range from a simple hairline fracture to a completely shattered bone. By looking at the images, we will be able to determine the full extent of the problem and what needs to be done to treat it so you can begin to feel better.

What are the Symptoms of a Broken Finger?

These injuries are typically caused by trauma to the finger. Sometimes your fingers can get hurt from falls, getting slammed in something, playing sports, or even regular daily tasks that do not go as planned. You may have a broken finger if you are experiencing loss of range of motion, deformity of the appearance of the finger, swelling, redness, or severe pain. If the injury is bad enough, these symptoms will not resolve on their own. The only way to know if the injury will require treatment is to have X-rays done on the finger so that we can determine what type and size of break you face.

Is My Finger Broken if I can Bend it?

Regardless of whether you can bend or move the finger or not, there is still a chance that it may have a fracture or a break. Typically, moving a broken finger will cause a lot of pain, but a break does not necessarily limit motion completely. Some people have a very high pain tolerance, while others simply do not have a painful break that would limit their normal movements.

When you have a broken finger, you will usually see signs within a few moments of the injury, including swelling, bruising, and redness in the area surrounding the break. The swelling itself is what limits movement. It makes moving the finger much more difficult, but it is your body’s way of trying to protect the break. By swelling, your bones are held in place, which can allow for the healing process to begin. The problem with that is if the break is held in place poorly, it could begin healing poorly as well. This could lead to a situation where the bone needs to be re-broken to set it properly, which we would all like to avoid.

You may also experience swelling in the surrounding fingers. It is important to pay attention to these symptoms, especially if numbness also occurs, as there could potentially be nerve damage in conjunction with the break largely caused by the swelling tissue. Any type of numbness in the finger signals a loss of communication between the injured area and your nervous system. This is your body trying to tell you it needs help. Make sure to reach out to us here at AICA Orthopedics right away if you have a swollen, red finger that also has some numbness. The sooner we can begin to treat the area, the less likely you are to face long-term consequences of the break.

How is a Broken Finger Diagnosed?

To properly diagnose a break in the finger, you will need to see our Atlanta orthopedic doctors. The orthopedist will get an X-ray of the area to determine if there is a break and to evaluate the position of the finger. From there, we can work out a treatment plan with you. We will discuss what options you have to get your finger healed, and talk with you about what we recommend. Once your finger is starting to heal, we can also discuss therapy to help restore full range of motion to your finger. Reach out to us today, at (404) 855-2141.

90,000 Fracture Repositioning Surgery – “Of course I recommend repositioning the broken bone, it would be strange to recommend leaving the broken toe sticking out on the side of the foot, as in my case. About how I broke my finger, whether it hurts, how the operation goes, the postoperative period, etc. read below. ”

Hello everyone and welcome!

I’ll start with the fact that I thought for a long time whether to write a review on this topic, because the story will not be about another hair balm, but about a fracture, but I decided to write for one simple reason: when I had this fracture, then I tried to find a lot of things on the Internet, but I could not find it.Therefore, I will try to tell you in detail how it was and how it is at the time of writing the review.

How it happened

One of the working days I stayed at home with the children and put them to bed for a nap. Seemingly she put her to bed and went into another room, suddenly heard a noise in the nursery and galloped there. We had a chair near one of the cribs (they could not attach a board to the bed so that the child would not fall), so I hit the leg of the chair .

Did it hurt? I would not say that it hurts straight, not much more painful than an ordinary hit on a hard surface.

I put the child to bed again, went to another room, I feel something is wrong. I lower my eyes, and my little finger is turned in the opposite direction. Trying to bend my toes, fail . Well, everything, I think, is a turning point.

The photo is not pleasant, so I will put it in a quote.

The further is more fun.

Let me remind you that it was a working day, my husband was at work, it was only me with the children, and I had no one to leave them with.

I call an ambulance, I say that I broke my finger, they say that will come and take . I say that I cannot leave, there are two small children at home, I ask if they can bring a traumatologist. They answer me that they do not take traumatologists home, so either they take me away, or I have to get to them on my own or to the trauma department of our district . I called my husband, he does not pick up the phone.I called to work already with tears in my eyes, not from pain, but from despair. I say that I broke my toe, they tell me to take sick leave anyway, they try to calm me down. My husband calls, I say that I broke my finger, he takes time off from work, hurries to me. When my husband arrived, he immediately took me to the trauma of the area, it is a 5-minute drive from the house, the children were asleep at that time, so we quickly loaded me into a car and drove me away.

Traumatology of the region

Arrived in an injury, went to register, issued a card, went to the doctor .Yes, she went, pulled on the flip-flops and walked with a limp. The finger does not hurt , but it is still twisted, although not swollen and not yet blue. I understand that sitting in line is wasting time, and the line is slowly moving forward. It is 2 pm, and I broke my finger at 12.

It was my turn to go to the doctor. By the way, I liked the doctor very much, adequate, courteous, young, although with a beard, in general, you do not feel antipathy to this, and many patients spoke well of him, sitting in line.

In general, I go into the office, sit down, the doctor asks what happened. I say that I broke my finger. Asks about what? The answer is that about a chair. “ About the chair?” – the doctor asks in surprise, who, I’m sure, saw not only broken fingers. After the questioning, they send me for an X-ray, after taking the pictures I go to the doctor again. The doctor looks at the photo and says that in this trauma (polyclinic) they do not correct such fractures and I need to go to the hospital of the neighboring city district .Well, this is our medicine, not everyone and not everywhere can do it.

By the way, I have oblique fracture with displacement of the fifth toe , i.e. little finger.

The photo below clearly shows where the fracture is.

They give me my printed x-ray, the direction and that’s it. I called my husband, he comes for me with the children, they take me to the hospital.

In the hospital

In this hospital on Kosciuszko, I was many times when I was pregnant and lay on the shelf.The doctors there are different, but, for the most part, they are good. But registration is long , you have to wait a long time for in the queue until the doctor picks up and is fed very badly . Therefore, I decided for myself at all costs after the operation to leave there.

So, registered me, sent me to the door of the injury department to sit , wait in line. There I talked with friends like me in misfortune.

First, a man sitting next to me in line and looking at my broken finger for a long time asked if I was doing gymnastics.Laughing, she replied that no, I only professionally demolish chairs. He told how his wife, who was doing gymnastics, also broke her finger, only the other and not to the side, but up.

Another man said that he fell, stepping on the peel of an orange or a banana, as a result, after a blood test, he was sent to another hospital because he had an infection.

There was a guy with a broken head, and a friend that you still need to look for (in a good sense of the word), both with a great sense of humor.Much later than my operation, he shouted to me in the corridor: “Be careful of the chairs” (I broke my finger on the chair).

In general, there were so many people in the queue for doctors, different, with terrible and not very traumas, pale, freaking out, calm and even trying to have fun like us.

So we sat in line for 1.5-2 hours. They called me and took a blood test. Then I signed a refusal to stay in the hospital. And they began to prepare me for the operation.

Operation

I came across a young doctor, probably my age. “It’s good that I got such a young doctor,” I thought, and sat down on the couch laid out for the operation.

In general, although I am a flint, after the cesarean section I began to be afraid of operations, injections. Therefore, I asked if it was possible to operate on me while sitting, so that I could see what they were doing to me and not be scared. I was told that is better to lie down so that it is comfortable for me to put on the cast .

In general, I lay down on the couch, the doctor first treated me with iodine , disinfected me.Then they gave me several injections of painkillers . Moreover, the doctor warned in advance that he would now give an injection. I tell her that it would be better if she hadn’t warned, to which I get an answer that there are times when people kick, so she warns. Well, yes, that’s more correct.

They give me an injection 3, I scream (fortunately, I don’t scream from unpleasant sensations), but I try not to move my leg. From the sensation of the foot swelling from above from the injection, it becomes bad , I can’t stand it, I sit on the couch (I was lying before), sitting I wait until the pain reliever works .

By the way, at the time of the operation, 5-6 hours had already passed after the fracture, although the finger was not swollen, it had already partially turned blue .

The painkiller dulled the sensations, I lay down on the couch again, and began to set my finger.

Does it hurt? No. At all. You feel that they are pulling on the finger, that they are shaking it, but no more. Reduction itself lasts no more than 2-3 minutes. I noticed that the doctor had a little blood on his finger, I thought it was from the injection sites, but my fracture is closed.

By the way, in my case they can put a knitting needle, but they didn’t put it on me. As they later explained, by my refusal to be monitored in the hospital, I also refused the knitting needle, which is for the best, as for me.

After operation

After the finger has been adjusted, begin to apply plaster of Paris . Take a gauze / bandage with a gray mass on it and apply it to the leg. First, the foot is formed, especially the part where the broken toe was, then the lower leg. The doctor held the plaster cast against my finger for a while with her hands until he took it.Smart girl is simple.

I, of course, hoped that only my foot would be put in a plaster, but no plaster cast was applied up to the knee .

Do you know what was the hardest thing for me in all this? Not a broken finger, not an operation, but the moment when a wheelchair is adjusted and you need to transfer to it .

When I saw this stroller, I was so shocked that I was ready to shout, fight back, etc.

But, she pulled herself together, crawled into the wheelchair, not without the help of doctors, and took me for an x-ray.

After the operation, X-rays are taken to make sure that the operation was successful. The doctor who performed the operation on me took me to the elevator and further to the office where the x-rays are taken. After receiving the pictures, she said that the condition was satisfactory.

And I, having already got used to the wheelchair, mentally promised myself to be more careful so as not to sit in it again.

After the X-ray, I returned to the trauma department , signed all the papers, received an extract and asked me to shorten the plaster cast. I could not even bend my leg, just below the knee the plaster was in the way, the doctor’s assistant, who was applying this plaster to me, at first simply bent the part that was interfering with me, and after my request to cut it off, cut off this part.

So, with a statement on hand , I called my husband, who came to pick me up and went to the exit in a wheelchair.Some woman, screaming “you are so brave” caught up with me, tried to help me get to the exit. Thanks to her, with her help it was easier to jump up the steps of the stairs, going down already on the street.

Already at home, the first week

I was at home at 7-8 pm . We immediately found me on Avito crutches , tk. doctors strictly forbade getting up on one leg. We bought crutches, but I was neither physically nor psychologically ready for them .Most often, I moved around the apartment jumping, I used crutches when I got tired of jumping, or when I had to go to the doctor.

The crutches themselves were rubbed under my armpits, pressed on my palms, in general I do not recommend wooden crutches.

In the first week, I was jumping, sometimes on crutches , if I was sitting, then I threw my leg higher so that there was no edema. Swelling of the extremities, by the way, was sometimes , but not large, which quickly disappeared if I kept my leg higher.

I did not take any medications, only sometimes I drank calcium when I remembered. The finger did not hurt.

By the end of the first week, I slightly wiggled my finger , accidentally, I got scared, because it’s too early, but once I did, it’s not bad.

Week two

I still moved around the apartment jumping or, occasionally, on crutches.I never left the house except to see a doctor. And when I went to the doctor, then put the bag on the cast leg and that’s it. It was early September, it was not particularly cold yet.

At the doctor’s appointment she said that her finger moved, she received the answer that the tumor had subsided , so it happened.

In general, bone fusion consists of several stages, they are different in time, depending on the fracture, I will add them here.

Stages

The mechanism of fracture healing is very complex, therefore it is divided into certain stages:

1. The first stage is the formation of a clot formed from the blood surrounding the damaged area. After some time, they are transformed into new tissue for bone structure. This clot forms within a few days after the injury.
2. In the second stage, this clot is filled with osteoblast and osteoclast cells.They are very strongly associated with healing and recovery. By filling the clot around the fracture, they flatten and flatten the bone fragments, after which a granular bridge is created. It is he who will hold the edges of the bone to prevent displacement.
3. The third stage is characterized by the appearance of callus. After a few weeks (2-3) from injury, the granular bridge turns into bone tissue. During this period of time, it is still very fragile, and differs from ordinary bone tissue.This area is called the callus.
4. During the fourth stage, the fracture is completely healed. After a certain time after the incident, depending on its severity and area (3-10 weeks), blood circulation in this place is completely normalized, which helps to strengthen the bone.

My first stage went through the first week. Then we decided to leave the city for a week , the trip was long-distance, I kept my leg on the glove compartment of the car almost all the time, so that it did not swell, but, all the same, it felt that there was not much room in the leg in the cast, which was swelling; very unpleasant .

After 2-3 weeks

A couple of weeks later came to see the doctor in a cast , the finger sometimes moved, there was no pain. came to the doctor on crutches, but at home I already walked without them waddled, it was very uncomfortable, but walked on both legs.

At the same time, I made a cut in the cast where the foot bends below the lower leg, so it was more comfortable to walk. When I cut out a piece of bandage (plaster splint is under the lower leg, and there are just many layers of bandage on top) the skin was in a terrible state, red, rubbed, dry , so a few applications of a good cream saved the situation.

By the way, during the entire period of wearing the plaster, nothing scratched under it , only in the first days it was unpleasant that it was glued to the skin of the leg, so I tried to tear it off the leg, it turned out that the plaster was no longer stuck.

A month later

A month after the fracture, I walked normally, albeit with a plaster cast . The finger was also wiggling, and I decided to go to work.

I came into an injury and said that I wanted to close my sick leave, I had an X-ray, it turned out that the finger had not completely grown together, they told to wrap a finger with a plaster on the neighboring one and wear sneakers at home so that the lower leg was fixed .I did not wear sneakers, but unsuccessfully arching my leg felt a terrible pain in the lower leg, as if stretching, and began to walk more carefully.

Instead of sneakers, the leg that had a fracture, I wrapped with an elastic bandage up to the knee, and at night I rewound the same bandage so that the finger was as protected as possible.

The plaster was removed at the same time and my leg was white in places:

After 1.5 months

I went to work, but I still went to the doctor for control .After 1.5 months, x-rays showed that the bone healed by 80% . Only 80! And this is not a hand, not a knee, but only a little finger. It is believed that in children, bones grow together quickly, and in the elderly for a long time. I hoped that the finger would grow together for such a long period of time, but no, unfortunately.

I walk at home having attached a broken finger with a plaster to the neighboring one , trying to avoid physical impact on the finger.

After 2 months

Another X-ray showed that the bone healed about 86% , somehow very slowly.So I still need to go for X-ray control.

I asked the doctor about the flexion of the finger, more precisely of its development , the doctor said that it was too early. The fact is that after the bone grows together, it must be developed, bent and unbend, so that it does not ossify.

Present

At the time of writing this review, my finger has not completely grown together, I still walk with a plaster, I bought shoes with low heels with lacing and a zipper at the same time, so that it was easier to put on shoes without damaging my toe.

But what is much more unpleasant is the fear of breaking your finger again.

Thank you for reading to the end! Health to you and take care of yourself!

Children-Butterfly Foundation – Bandaging fingers and toes

Bandaging the fingers with bandaging: instructions for parents

Bandaging the fingers and toes of a butterfly baby is difficult. If the bandage is not properly secured, it will move, come into contact with the wound or bladder, and cause pain to the baby.

Let’s talk about the main methods of dressing. Please note: before bandaging, the child’s fingers should be lubricated with petroleum jelly, bepanten or Akvofor ointment.

Bandaging of fingers with bandages

This manual was developed by Lorraine Spaulding, the mother of a seven-year-old boy with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa.

1. Use Vaseline gauze or petroleum jelly to make a bandage 17 cm long and 8 cm wide.Step 2.5 cm from the edge of the bandage and make a 10 cm deep incision towards the center.

2. Wrap it around your arm so that the 2.5 cm strip is between your thumb and forefinger. This will provide additional protection if your hand is already wounded and will help keep your palm moist and soft.

3. Using a bandage 2.5 cm wide, start bandaging from the wrist. Wrap around the hand, then go up to the thumb as shown.Wrap your thumb and go back down.

4. Down the thumb, wrap around the inside of the palm, pass over the outside of the hand, then stretch up to the index finger, wrap it – first up, then down, and pass over the inside of the palm.

5. Continue to do the same with the middle finger. Always start wrapping the tip of your finger on the outside of the hand, where the nail plate is.

6. At this point, the bandaged arm should look something like this. Continue in the direction of the arrow.

7. Stretch the bandage down, run along the inside of the palm and move to the ring finger. First wind your ring finger up and down from the pad.

8. From your ring finger, pull the bandage down and wrap it around your wrist. Then pull the bandage along the outside of the hand to the gap between the thumb and forefinger, and inside the palm towards the little finger.Wrap your pinky up and down, just as you did with your other fingers.

9. After bandaging the little finger, return the bandage to the wrist.

10. The tips of the fingers can be left slightly open for the child to use the sense of touch.

11. At this stage, the inner side of the palm is not completely closed, leaving no bandaged places. Close all gaps. Be very careful! Never pull gauze or bandage too tight!

12.From your wrist, stretch the bandage along the inside of your hand to the space between your little finger and ring finger. Go back to the outside.

13. Cover the bottom of the inner palm with a bandage and slide the bandage along the outer side of the hand to the space between the middle and forefinger.

14. On the inside, slide the bandage to the bottom of the edge of the palm and on the outside of the hand, move up to the space between the thumb and forefinger.

15. On the inside of your hand, slide the bandage to the base of your little finger, and then, on the outside, slide it to the space between your middle and ring fingers. After passing the bandage between them, return to the wrist on the inside.

16. At this point, the inside of your hand will look something like this.

17. Take a second roll of cheesecloth, 5 cm wide. Wrap over the first roll on the inside of the base of the ring and little fingers.With the bottom of the outside of the hand wrapped, move up the inside to the space between your thumb and forefinger.

18. Make a full “turn” so as to secure the folded “start” (3-4 cm) of the second roll. Do not pull the bandage too tight. Make sure the palm stays straight and does not bend. The second layer will provide additional protection.

19. Wrap the changeover site one or two more “turns”, and then move to the wrist to finally secure the bandage.

20. When you have bandaged the brush, put on a supporting mesh stocking over it. For the thumb, cut a hole in it.

Bandaging fingers without bandaging

You can do without bandaging, using tubular bandages that are simply put on the fingers.

1. Take the Paul Hartmann seamless knitted tubular bandage Stülpa with a high degree of stretch and an elastic tubular bandage for fixing the bandages on the fingers – for example, no. 1 from 36.6.
2. Cut the bandages just a little longer than your fingers.
3. Treat blisters and wounds on fingers as usual. For this, use a contact wound dressing “Mepitel” or “Urgotul”, an antiseptic “Octenisept” or any other, needles for piercing blisters.
4. Apply the cream or ointment you usually use to your child’s fingers – Sudocrem, Bepanten Plus or others.
5. On each finger over the cream, put on a “shtulpa” and fasten on top with a tubular bandage for fixation.Try to choose the length of the bandages so that you don’t create unnecessary folds between your toes.

Bandaging the fingers to preserve the joints

The instructions for bandaging fingers in this way were provided by the Austrian house of epidermolysis bullosa EB-haus and the Debra Austria association (Salzburg, Austria).

The special direction of applying the bandage allows you to correct the wrong position of the fingers.

Remember that you shouldn’t overtighten your fingers! With this method, it is ideal to use self-fixing elastic bandages: this way, the fingers bandaged with them can bend slightly at the joints.

So, here are the instructions.

1. Using a bandage 3-3.5 cm wide, start bandaging from the wrist. Wrap the bandage around the wrist 2-3 times.

2. Go upstairs to the thumb.

3. Wrap your thumb, starting from the outside of the hand, as shown in the illustration.

4. On the outside of the hand, return to the wrist from the edge of the palm.

5. Having wrapped the wrist once, on the outside of the hand, pass the bandage between the middle and forefinger.

6. Wrap your index finger in the same way as you did with your thumb, and again return to the wrist.

7. After making another turn around the hand, wrap the middle finger in the same way.

8. Return to the wrist again.

nine.Repeat this step for your ring finger.

10. Return to your wrist.

11. Wrap the little finger from the edge of the palm, passing the bandage lastly between the little finger and ring finger. Return the bandage to your wrist from the thumb side.

12. Attach the end of the bandage to your wrist. From the side of the palm, the bandaged arm should appear as shown in the illustration.

Bandaging toes

The procedure will be as follows:

1. Treat wounds as usual.Use scissors to cut rectangular strips of Paul Hartmann’s Rolta Soft bandage. Run them around the affected toes, applying ointments and creams underneath. Place them around the affected toes, applying ointments and creams underneath.
2. Wrap over with the same bandage, being careful to avoid wrinkles and excessive layers when applying, especially at the joints.
3. Secure with the Peha-Haft self-locking bandage.
4. For additional fixation of the bandage, slide a cotton sock over the foot with the seams outward.It is advisable to cut off the elastic.

Gloves for hands

You put the cream on the child’s hands, and after 5 minutes it is on the upholstery of the sofa. A familiar picture, isn’t it? But the problem is solved simply: after applying the cream, you need to put on gloves for the child.

For butterfly babies, soft gloves are an effective protection for fingers from growing together and moisturize the dried skin of the hands. Always wear gloves, day and night, so that you do not have to undergo painful finger separation surgery in the future.

Even if you do not bandage the whole hand, but one or more fingers, still wear gloves. Then the kid will thank you!

How to make a glove?

1. Place your baby’s hand on a sheet of thick paper or thin cardboard and carefully trace the entire brush with a felt-tip pen, paying particular attention to the contour of the fingers. This procedure is good for both the left and right hands of the baby – even if at first glance they seem to be the same.

2. On the resulting contour, step back 1 cm from the fingertips and mark the cutting line. This will create gloves with open fingertips. We measure 5 cm from the conditional line of the wrist so that the gloves are not too short.

3. For gloves, choose a soft knit fabric, 100% cotton or a touch of Lycra. Attach the pattern cut out of cardboard to the fabric and trace its outline with a felt-tip pen or crayon.Pull back 1/2-inch to the seams on the outside of the little finger and thumb and mark on the pattern. Do not allow seam allowances on the other sides of the toes.

4. Cut four identical pieces, provided that the jersey is double-sided and the baby’s palms are equally developed. If there is a face and a wrong side, then you need to cut out 2 parts for the right hand, and 2 for the left (in a mutually mirror image).

5. Sew the two pieces together along the outer sides with an allowance so that the seams are facing out.

6. Cut a strip 2 cm wide and 25-30 cm long for inserts between the toes.

7. Sew this insert between thumb and forefinger first, cut off the remaining fabric. Next – between the rest of the fingers.

8. The glove is ready, it remains to make the second in the same way. Be sure to try it on and make sure that the child is comfortable. Excellent protection for your child’s fingers – done! Now he can play calmly without fear of injury.

90,000 Can I break my little finger and not feel it?

If you break your little finger, you will definitely be in pain for the first few minutes. Then the pain will subside. You may well go to work with a broken pinky finger and not be aware of it. The bone can even heal without your knowledge.

You got out of bed at night to drink water and hit the corner of the table with your little finger. Phew … What will happen next? If the bone is not twisted in a strange way, does not stick out from under the skin, and if you did not hear a click during the impact, then you will most likely take a pain reliever and go to bed.

Of the five toes, the big toe and the little toe are the most common fractures, with the fracture usually occurring at the base of the toe.

The first thing you think in the morning: “Moving? Well, then it’s not a turning point. ” But in reality, you can easily move the broken finger, so this should not be considered a check for a fracture.

Second thing you think: if it were a fracture, I would be terribly hurt. Not at all necessary. You can break your leg on the ski slope, and then skate the rest of the day and even dance without suspecting anything.And you can break four ribs and find out about the fracture in a few months, making a planned fluorography. Of course, broken bones hurt much more often, but if the fracture is minor, then you may not even notice it.

Peter Talantov in the book “0.05. Evidence-based medicine from magic to the quest for immortality ”writes that pain depends not only on the scale of the injury. One part of the brain is responsible for the sensitive component of pain, and another is responsible for the emotional component. It is the second component that determines how easily we tolerate pain.“In the 50s of the XX century, they tried to use this anatomical feature, making patients with severe incurable pain a lobotomy operation. <…> The operated patients still felt pain, but did not experience the suffering associated with it. The pain became indifferent to them – the truth … it was not only she who became indifferent.

In addition, there is a mechanism that temporarily suppresses pain in severe trauma – stress-induced analgesia. You may have heard the story of how, after a car accident, a mother brought her daughter to the hospital in her arms and died on the doorstep from many injuries sustained in the accident.This is the very mechanism: for a short time she experienced almost no pain. Stress-induced analgesia is present in most animals, and its evolutionary role is transparent: it provides a chance to escape from an attacking predator or to repel an attack. Or, as in this case, save your child.

If after a bruise your little finger hurts for a long time and you may not be able to wear your favorite pair of pointed shoes, it is better not to succumb to the temptation to bandage your finger, throw in painkillers and wait until everything goes away by itself.It is clear that if the bone does not stick out from under the skin or, which is more trenchant, does not stick out, you will hesitate to the last.

Even if your little finger does not look threatening, you may need further hospital treatment, such as a special shoe, a cast, or surgery. Bones could crack, but not shatter. There may be a displaced fracture or an avulsion fracture where a tendon breaks away from a bone. In any case, X-rays will not be superfluous. A fracture can be complicated by osteoarthritis – it occurs when the fracture extends to one of the joints of the toe.

Three signs may indicate a fracture: redness or bruising at the site of the injury, pain and swelling, difficulty walking.

Broken pinky: drey – LiveJournal

I was swimming one month ago in the pool and suddenly broke my little finger on my leg 🙂 And this broken little finger allowed me to rethink my position in life 🙂

Well, of course I didn’t break it when I was swimming. And I walked along the side, and there the separating floats were attached and I did not notice and hit one of the mountings with my little finger.

As it turned out, this did not stop me from continuing to swim and cycle. But the run had to be postponed until later, for the time when the little finger stops hurting.

But the trouble is, at that moment I finished 6 weeks of my 32 week Ironman preparation in December of this year. Yes, yes … The crazy idea hit me in the head to participate in this venture one more time.

However, a broken little finger ruined the running program. No, of course, even if you continue 2 months after the fracture, there will still be enough time to prepare, as much as 18 weeks, 2 weeks more than the standard marathon preparation plans.

And so I started thinking … But what for do I need it? Overcome yourself? Well, once I got over it. Well, I’ll overcome it again. Well, not 13.5 hours, but 13 or even 12, or maybe even 14-15. But this “overcoming” is a little aside from the concept of “health” 🙂 I will revel in it for more than six months. Through strength to run, through strength to swim. And the exhaust will be pretty empty.

Already after 6 weeks, when running trainings exceeded 10 km, I pushed myself onto them. And in the pool, doing the intervals, I was between the states “I’m going to switch off” and “I’m going to vomit now” … But at the same time I run 3-5-7 km with pleasure.We will also swim 1.5-2.5 km with pleasure, but the truth is in my own way: with a float between my legs and only on my hands.

In general, I reconsidered my attitude towards Ironman and decided that nafig I do not need to “overcome” myself or, for example, be compared with other things. After all, I already know my “length”. And after all, it does not get longer with time, but only becomes shorter.

Physical education will definitely remain in my life. But it will be just physical education, not sports 🙂 So that everything would be a pleasure: and ride, and run, and swim 🙂

* * *

The original of this post is on my blog A.Drey’s Life Blog

Nurmagomedov showed a snapshot of a finger broken before the last fight :: Single combats :: RBC Sport

The fighter was injured less than three weeks before the fight against Justin Gaethje

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Photo: Getty Images

The champion of the Absolute Fighting Championship (UFC) in lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov published on his Instagram page photos of a broken toe, received in preparation for the title fight with American Justin Gaethje.

In Stories, the Russian posted two pictures: on one, dated October 7, – an X-ray of the toe of his left foot, and on the other, taken on October 8, a swollen and blue toe is visible. Earlier it became known that the Russian fighter received a fracture a few weeks before the battle.

At UFC 254 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Nurmagomedov defeated Gatji by rear naked choke in the second round.The Russian defended the lightweight title for the third time.

In the previous two fights, he defeated former two-weight league champion Conor McGregor in 2018 and former interim champion Dustin Poirier in 2019 ahead of schedule.

In total, Nurmagomedov spent 29 fights in mixed martial arts, without suffering a single defeat. After the end of the fight with Gaji, he announced his retirement.

Putin decided to personally meet with Nurmagomedov

Author

Alexander Pakhomov

90,000 how much heals, how much to wear plaster

Sometimes trouble happens, and breaking the little finger on the hand is one of them.

This injury is not uncommon, because throughout our life the fingers are one of the main helpers. They are used in all the same actions as the whole hands.

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See a doctor!

The site provides reference information . Adequate diagnosis and treatment of the disease is possible under the supervision of a conscientious doctor . Any drugs have contraindications. A specialist consultation and a detailed study of the instructions are required!
Be sure to make an appointment with the doctor .

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Healing time

How long does a fracture of the little finger heal? With simple closed fractures, the broken little finger will heal in 2-3 weeks. A month later, there is a complete rehabilitation of the little finger.

In the most difficult cases, it is necessary to wear plaster for a longer period of time, from 6 weeks, and restoration of work is achieved in 8-10 weeks.

Separately, it is worth mentioning the recovery time after surgery. It all depends on whether various complications arise, for example, purulent ones, they will become a reason for additional intervention.Sometimes you will need to wear a retainer.

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Symptoms

Symptoms that a person has broken the little finger on his hand are akin to symptoms of a fracture of other limbs:

1. Sharp pain that worsens with movement. A person who has broken a little finger will not be able to move, and over time, edema forms on the affected area.
2. Soft tissues around them change color to a darker one, hemorrhage under the nail is possible.
3. Shortening or curvature of the finger, excessive mobility or even crunching of fragments when squeezed.

In children, marginal tears of the nail phalanx may appear (more common for open fractures). In rare cases, a characteristic soft tissue defect is formed.

Injuries in childhood tend to be masked, so that even an x-ray does not always give a clear result.

When examining children, doctors have to be especially careful. The most important and indicative sign is severe pain when loading the finger axis.

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https: // gidpain.ru / perelom / mizinca-ruke-simptomy.html

At home

The most important nuance here should be noted the following: if the little finger is broken, it will not be possible to cure at home, you will have to go to the doctor.

It is important not to bother the affected finger once again and you cannot try to combine the fracture yourself – as a result, you can cause much more harm, which doctors will have to deal with.

It is better to give the patient an anesthetic from the home medicine cabinet – ketarol, analgin or these, and then accompany him to a doctor or call an ambulance.

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Treatment

Treatment of a fracture of the little finger is rather conservative:

1. The doctor will immobilize the phalanx with plaster or splint. In the event of an open fracture, surgery is sometimes necessary.
2. After fixation is complete, physiotherapy is followed to promote early wound healing.
3. In the most difficult cases, displaced fractures, doctors reposition the fragments. This allows you to give them a natural position.
4. One method is to insert the pins to fix the site.

Treatment is selected depending on the type of fracture.

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One-step closed reduction

It is used for the simplest fractures.

Produced in several stages:

1. The patient is first tested for tolerance to local anesthetic with lidocaine or procaine concentrates.
2. If successful, extend the finger and flex the joints somewhat.
3. Upon completion, the bone is returned to its original position and fixed.

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Skeletal traction

A copy of the previous technique, differs in the method of pulling – here a thread or wire is used, which is passed through soft tissues or under the nail.

This method allows you to cope with more severe injuries, and subsequent treatment includes anti-inflammatory and antibacterial drugs.

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Open reduction

Virtually the last treatment, it involves open bone surgery and is rarely used due to the obvious associated risks and complications.Sometimes this technique is the only one possible.

It is used if the bones have already had time to heal incorrectly, there is a multi-splintered fracture with displacement of these. The debris is fixed with knitting needles or screws. There are also pluses in it – the application of plaster is not required.

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Useful video





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Applying plaster

Fracture of a finger is considered by doctors to be a highly complex injury, and its treatment requires an appropriate approach.One of the mandatory measures is the immobilization of the limb, which implies a cast.

For this, a classic bandage soaked in solution is used. Over time, the dressing dries out, taking the shape of the hand, subsequently retaining it.

Gypsum – This material does not tolerate water penetration very well.

On the other hand, there is an alternative in the form of polymeric materials with similar properties, but lighter in weight. But they are more expensive, and the patient himself has to pay for them more often.

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Therapeutic massage

Although an open fracture heals quickly, it needs to be developed in order to restore the full function of the finger. It is worth starting this process immediately after the plaster is removed.

Doctors prescribe massage – patients can do it.

The procedure is performed like this:

1. Hands are laid out with palms on the table – patients try to tear their fingers away from its surface, one by one or all together.
2. The next exercise will be pinching and spreading the fingers, circular movements of the pads.
3. Gathering your palm into a pinch and relaxing is a good option.

Interestingly, more interesting methods are used for rehabilitation.

These include:

• Keyboard work;
• Using a wrist expander;
• Simple warm-up of the little finger with the fingers of the other hand.

In general, there are many options. Some even advise to sort out cereals when fingers are broken.

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Numbness of fingers

Sometimes numbness is observed after a fracture of the little finger.The same is possible with other injuries – a fracture of the wrist and these.

The reason in all cases is the same – poor nerve conduction. It is possible that the numbness arose due to the prolonged presence of the hand in a cast, but more serious reasons should not be ruled out.

If the numbness persists for a long time, you should consult a doctor.

In some cases, especially in the presence of other symptoms, numbness of the fingers may indicate a serious neurological disease, with the treatment of which it is better not to delay.

What is the result? Fracture of the little finger – the injury is quite painful and do not try to self-medicate. The consequences of these experiments are unpleasant.

The key to a quick recovery is an appeal to doctors, careful observance of their instructions and rehabilitation, which can be delayed. If complications are found, you should contact the nearest hospital.

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Exercises for accelerated rehabilitation

Consider a few:

1. Compression of the expander in different positions of the arm: extended forward, sideways, up, bent at the elbow.
2. Transferring grain from container to container.
3. Direct placement of the hand on the table. Try to raise the little finger as high as possible without lifting your palms from the surface.
4. Compression of plasticine in the phalanges.
5. Roll out the plasticine to the shape of a cylinder, the palm should be bent.

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Dangerous changes

The consequences depend on the correctness of the emergency care and the method of treatment.

Pathologies present:

1. Slow bone fusion.There is only one way out – to leave the plaster or splint for a long time.
2. Incorrectly healed fracture. Mobility is impaired, aching pains are present. The pathology is corrected by repeated reduction.
3. No splicing process. If the bones have not started to join after a few weeks, surgery is performed.
4. Infection. Osteomyelitis is difficult to cure, but surgery or a long course of antibiotics helps a gradual recovery.
5. Stiffness.It occurs due to regular fractures in the same place. After a long treatment, the finger may not grow together. Physiotherapy will make the situation easier.
6. Pain syndrome. After full recovery, pain occurs in winter and with an average load on the hand.
7. In advanced forms of trauma, disability or amputation of the finger is possible.

90,000 symptoms, signs (how to understand that it is broken), what to do, how to quickly cure

The appointment day had just begun when they knocked on the office and in a quiet but anxious voice asked: “Doctor, can I come in?” I invited: it was a girl who, limping on her left leg, told me that her little finger hurts.As it turned out, on the morning of the previous day, Marina (that was the name of the patient), was actively getting ready and leaving the room, hit her foot on the corner of the door. But, since there was no time, she got dressed and went to work, experiencing pain and terrible discomfort all the time. In the evening, when I returned home, taking off my shoes, I saw a bruise and an enlarged little finger. “Tell me this is a broken little finger?” Asked Marina. “Now let’s figure it out,” I replied.

Causes

According to statistics, foot fractures occur in 20% of all bone fractures.And all because we actively move throughout our life, moving from place to place, doing some kind of work. And just a banal rush, due to loss of attention, turns off our compensatory mechanisms, as a result of which our body loses control, which causes us to get injured. As for the little toe, it has a number of anatomical features: firstly, it is the edge of the foot and, when we move our foot, our inner and outer surfaces are at risk of impact. Secondly, the little finger is smaller than all other fingers, it is the thinnest and shortest, which in translation from the Latin digitus minimus means “the smallest”.

Considering all these features, one should not forget about diseases associated with a decrease in bone density, which can lead to fragility of bones (for example, osteoporosis). And also human age, because the older we get, the more the strength of bones decreases, this is due to a lack of calcium in the body, because it is the main component of bone tissue.

The adult body contains about 1.2 kg of calcium. Bone contains 99% of all body calcium, 87% phosphorus, 60% magnesium and about 25% sodium.

So what are the signs of a broken toe and what to do if it is broken?

Let’s go back to our patient. I asked Marina to describe what sensations she had after hitting her little finger and what worried her most in order to fully understand whether it was a bruise or a fracture. “At first there was a sharp pain, but I could move my little finger. Over time, the pain began to grow, and this made it impossible to move the finger. The little finger began to swell more and more, after which I completely ceased to feel it.It was very difficult to get up on one foot. By evening, the little finger turned blue, and the next morning half a foot turned blue. I got scared and went to the doctor. ” How to understand in our case that the patient broke his little finger, because the fractures are very similar to the bruises on the leg.

In order to determine whether it is a fracture or a contusion of the little finger, let’s start with their definitions:

Fracture is a partial or complete violation of the integrity of bone tissue as a result of exposure to traumatic force.

Classification

According to the classification, all fractures are divided into several types, we will describe the main ones:

• Traumatic – occur as a result of a strong mechanical impact on the bone, which was previously unchanged and absolutely healthy.
• Pathological – when a fracture can occur as a result of a weak blow, but due to a pathological process in the bone itself, the bone becomes very fragile.
• Open – such fractures are accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the skin, rupture of soft tissues, which is often complicated by bleeding and infection.
• Closed – preserving the integrity of the skin.
• Full – which, in turn, are divided into two types: with displacement and without displacement of fragments.
• Incomplete – This includes cracks and fractures.

Contusion is damage to superficial tissues, sometimes organs, but without significant violations of their internal structure, although there are serious changes if we talk about brain contusion.

After all of the above, we have an idea of ​​what each of the definitions means. But any diagnosis consists of the features of the clinical course of the trauma, so first we will touch on the symptoms.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a broken little finger are sharp pain and swelling of the affected area, local palpation at the site of the fracture is very painful.And also there is an increase in pain when pressed in the place where the blow occurred, while bone crepitus (a feeling of “crunching”) can be heard. All this is accompanied by impaired movement function and leads to increased pain when trying to take a step.

How can one distinguish a fracture from a bruise

Fracture

• As a result of a fracture, bone damage always occurs.
• Soreness at the impact site is constant, increases over time, increases with exertion.Depending on the fracture, it can last for several months or even a year, especially if the bone has not healed properly.
• Possibly dysfunction of the joint and limitation of its mobility, as a result, sharp pain when trying to move the finger.
• Unnatural position of the phalanx of the little finger due to its deformation.

Contusion

• In case of contusion, the skin and subcutaneous fat are damaged, and a bruise immediately forms at the site of injury.As a result of a deeper blow, the hematoma appears from the outside in the form of a bruise only after a few days.
• At the moment of impact, the pain can be very sharp, but after a few hours it decreases.
• Finger movement is preserved, painful, but possible in full.
• A bruise on the little finger does not change its length and shape.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis of a fracture of the little finger cannot be recognized with absolute certainty on the basis of symptoms, therefore, in traumatology, X-ray examination is used to clarify the diagnosis.

The picture is taken in two projections, direct and lateral, after which the doctor can determine that the little finger is broken and what the fracture looks like. But before determining whether it is a fracture or a bruise, it is necessary to provide first aid correctly.

First aid

As a rule, an injury is an unforeseen situation that can happen to us anywhere, often at the most inopportune moment. It happened at Marina’s home, and since it is not easy to make a diagnosis without X-ray, it is urgent to take action, because our future treatment and prevention of complications depend on this.

What help can be provided at home?

1. In the first steps, it is necessary to completely eliminate the load on the injured leg.
2. Inspect the damaged area. When it is an open wound, it must be treated with antiseptic agents. To do this, you can use betadine, hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine. If we are talking about alcohol solutions (iodine, brilliant green solution), they can only treat the skin around it, since they have a damaging effect, which in turn affects healing.If this is an open fracture, then after the wound has been treated, it must be closed with a sterile plaster or bandage.
3. Apply cold to the impact site for 10-15 minutes. This will temporarily relieve pain and reduce swelling. And to avoid frostbite of surface tissues, ice can be wrapped in any cloth, for example, a towel.
4. Anesthesia with general analgesics. If you are experiencing severe pain, you can take a drug with an analgesic effect – analgin, ibuprofen, ketorol. Only then can a splint or bandage be applied.
5. Immobilize with a bandage. It is impossible to independently determine the presence of a fracture and its type without special equipment and medical practice. Therefore, we must keep the leg in the state after which the blow occurred, until we get to the emergency room. In order to fix the fracture site, we place the injured limb on a hard, flat surface. Then, together with the retainer, we bandage the leg, from the tips of the toes from the side of the sole to the middle of the lower leg.As a retainer, we use a tire or improvised means (thick cardboard, a bar, a wooden lath). We bandage tightly, over clothes. The splint should run the entire length of the foot to the back of the lower leg. Alternatively, you can bandage the broken pinky to the adjacent toe.
6. Go to the trauma hospital.

Pay attention: as soon as you suspect a fracture, dislocation or rupture, do not waste time, but urgently seek medical help at the emergency room.

Treatment

To answer the question of how long the fracture of the little toe heals, you need to understand that all injuries are completely different and the treatment in each case may be different. Of course, there are general principles and approaches that should be followed, but do not forget each case is individual.

Any tactic of treatment depends on the severity of the patient’s condition, if the injury is accompanied by bleeding, then you need to start with its final stop.

• With a closed fracture of the little finger without displacement, a circular (circular) bandage is applied, which ensures complete immobilization of the limb. In order for the bone to heal properly, you can walk with a fracture, but try as little as possible. Shoes should be in size and lightweight. During treatment, all physical exercises on the foot are excluded, they are possible only after healing. The ability to work is restored after 12-15 days. Gypsum is not needed for this fracture.
• If, after an X-ray examination, the doctor diagnoses a fracture of the little finger with a displacement, then a closed reduction of the fragments is necessary.This manipulation is performed immediately, it is carried out under conduction or intraosseous anesthesia. The traumatologist stretches the finger along the length to its correct position and eliminates the displacement of the fragments at an angle and width. After that, the plantar is cast with a short plaster cast, with the modeling of the arch of the foot. Here it is necessary to achieve accurate reposition of the fragments and restore the function of the joint, if it has been impaired. The duration of treatment and immobilization is 4 to 6 weeks.The diagnosis is removed after a control image.
• For open fractures of the little finger, surgical treatment is required. Initially, the primary surgical treatment of the wound with an open reduction of the fragments is carried out. Further, with the help of osteosynthesis (various fixing structures), the fragments are fixed in the correct position. After that, immobilization bandages made of plaster or polymer bandages are applied. With a favorable course of treatment, the wound heals on the 10-12th day, after which an open fracture of the little finger can be considered closed.After fusion, the retainers are removed (in modern practice, there are special absorbable retainers that do not require removal) The term of treatment and recovery is from two months to six months.

In some cases, it is allowed to use retainers (bandage) instead of plaster for the little toe in case of a fracture. These are special orthopedic devices that fix a broken finger in a stationary state. In doing so, they help to avoid the imposition of plaster. The bandage is very easy to use, it must be put on the damaged little finger and secured with a plaster.

Drug therapy

Drug treatment is primarily aimed at strengthening and restoring bone tissue, as well as alleviating the patient’s condition.

A fracture of the little finger can be treated with the following medications:

• Pain relievers – they are necessary to relieve the pain syndrome with a fracture of the little finger (analgin, ketorol, sedalgin).
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – here the name speaks for itself, prescribed to reduce inflammation, they also have a mild analgesic effect (nurofen, ibuprofen, nimesulide).
• Diuretics are diuretics. In treatment, they are used strictly on the recommendation of a doctor, they are necessary to reduce edema (furasemide, veroshpiron).
• Calcium preparations – serve to restore bone structure, against the background of their intake, the bone grows together much faster (calcium gluconate, calcium D3 Nycomed).
• Ointments and gels for external use – have a local analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-exudative effect. Help reduce pain and swelling (fastum gel, cobratoxan).
• Vitamin and mineral complexes (compliant, alphabet).

Please note: ointments can only be applied to intact skin, the wound itself must not be smeared! If you have allergic reactions or intolerance to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, these drugs are strictly contraindicated for you.

Complications

As a rule, complications appear as a result of our wrong actions and mistakes. Often this is associated with the provision of first aid, since, without experience, we do not know what to do in this situation.Another reason is that treatment was not started in a timely manner. While a person suffers and is afraid to seek help from a medical institution, the pathological process can lead to irreversible consequences. An important point, which is also worth paying attention to, is a violation of the regime and doctor’s recommendations. As soon as we feel good, we immediately have reasons not to comply with the regimen and taking medications, thereby increasing our recovery time.

But do not forget that complications directly depend on the complexity of the injuries received.The most serious of these are:

Ankylosis

This is a violation of joint mobility that occurs as a result of a fracture. The destruction of the articular surfaces occurs, after which the inflammatory process begins. Inflammation leads to an overgrowth of connective or fibrous tissue in the joint, making it absolutely immobile. Therefore, when this condition develops, it is very important to start treatment as early as possible in order to stop the process and restore movement in the joint. In severe and advanced cases, they resort to prosthetics.

Osteomyelitis

This is a purulent-necrotic bone process involving the surrounding soft tissues. Several types are distinguished in it, but we are only interested in “post-traumatic”. Traumatic osteomyelitis most often occurs with open comminuted fractures, resulting in infection and a violent clinical picture, accompanied by high fever (up to 39-40 *), severe pain, weakness, decreased hemoglobin, increased ESR. A feature of this type is that two processes are going on in parallel: the formation of callus and the destruction of bone tissue.Treatment is mainly surgical against the background of antibiotic therapy.

Formation of a false joint

Is the result of improper treatment and non-compliance with the regimen and recommendations of the doctor. As a result, there is a strong displacement of the fragments, and the gap between them is filled not with callus, but with connective tissue. This is how pathological mobility is formed not in a characteristic place. Treatment is usually prompt.

Gangrene – or death of a part of the body

This serious complication develops as a result of severe compression or crushing of the injured toe.In this place, the blood supply to the tissues is disturbed and an infection can join, especially if it is an open wound. Conservative and surgical methods are used in the treatment.

Large callus

This is an overgrowth of connective tissue between fragments of damaged bone, which eventually turns into cartilaginous, and then into bone tissue. Such changes occur when the fracture is in several places. In this case, the bone is crushed, and the distance between the fragments is large.This, in turn, causes discomfort and pain due to the large size of the callus. This complication can be treated conservatively, using a sparing regimen, a special diet, physiotherapy, exercise therapy. The treatment is long and difficult. The indication for surgery is the lack of effect of conservative treatment.

Rehabilitation and recovery

After the healing of wounds, rehabilitation measures begin, which accelerate the recovery time of the patient.Because how quickly the fracture of the little toe heals, our further working capacity depends. Physiotherapeutic methods of treatment will help us with this.

These methods include:

• UHF (ultra high frequency) therapy. One of the most common electrotherapy methods, it reduces swelling and has an analgesic effect.
• Low-frequency magnetotherapy. When exposed to magnetic fields, bones grow together much faster. Its main advantage is that the procedure can be carried out through a cast.This is especially important for patients with complex fractures who have undergone osteosynthesis.
• Interference currents. Their main difference from other types of currents is that they are formed deep in the tissues, and are not produced by the apparatus. The effect of their influence is to improve trophic processes, relieve pain syndrome, accelerate the resorption of edema (hematomas). For older patients, whose injuries take a long time to heal, this method is especially necessary.
• Electrophoresis, like currents, penetrates deeply into the tissues, while a medicinal substance is applied to the electrode pads, which enhances the effect of the electric field.This substance accumulates in the focus of inflammation, while reducing severe pain. The electrodes can only be applied to intact skin.
• Massage is necessary to improve blood circulation in the tissues and to eliminate congestion after a fracture, if you have removed the plaster cast, you can immediately go for the procedure.

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Exercise therapy – exercise therapy

A very important role in the recovery of patients with fractures is occupied by physiotherapy exercises.A broken little toe needs to be reactivated. Therefore, as soon as the doctor sees improvements on the control image, then after removing the plaster, you can safely start the exercises. The set of these exercises is selected on an individual basis. You need to do it daily, twice a day and try not to miss. This includes rotational movements of the foot, flexion and extension of the affected areas, turns in both directions, and pinching and spreading the fingers. Over time, they can be performed with a load using weighting materials.But if, when performing them, you experience pain in the little finger, then you need to reduce the load, the healing process has not yet come and the intensity of the exercises needs to be reduced. The duration of rehabilitation depends on the complexity of the fracture and the strict implementation of all recommendations. If you ask me how long a fracture of the little toe heals, I cannot give you an exact answer, it depends on most factors and, above all, on you!

As for our patient. Marina was diagnosed with “closed fracture of the main phalanx of the fifth toe of the left foot with acceptable displacement of fragments.” The process of treatment and recovery took a month and a half, now she feels excellent, the mobility of the little finger is fully preserved.