Dislocated Fingers

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

In this Article

• Causes of a Dislocated Finger
• Symptoms of a Dislocated Finger
• When to Seek Medical Care for a Dislocated Finger
• Exams and Tests for a Dislocated Finger
• Finger Dislocation Treatment
• Medical Treatment for a Dislocated Finger
• Follow-up Care for a Dislocated Finger
• How to Prevent a Finger Dislocation
• Outlook for a Dislocated Finger

Finger dislocation is a common injury. It occurs when the bones of the finger are moved (dislocated) from their normal position. A dislocated finger can occur in any of the joints of any finger, but it occurs most often in the middle knuckle of the little, ring, middle, or index finger.

A dislocated finger is caused by a “jamming” force to be applied to the end of the finger, or the finger may be forcefully overextended. Either of these situations or a combination of both, can result in a dislocation. For example:

• During sports activities, a basketball or baseball may strike the tip of an outstretched finger.
• Your finger might get caught in equipment such as a game jersey or pads.
• You might fall onto your outstretched hand.

A dislocated finger is usually obvious. The finger appears crooked, swollen and is very painful. It may be bent upward or at strange angles. You probably won’t be able to bend or straighten the finger if it is dislocated. Also:

• Numbness or tingling with a severe dislocation.
• The injured finger may appear a pale color.
• The dislocation may cause a break in the skin where the injury has occurred. If this occurs, you should get medical attention right away.

When you have a dislocated finger, you should see a doctor at once. Delaying a visit to your doctor for a finger dislocation can make final treatment more difficult and can lead to delayed healing or permanent disability.

Seek medical attention immediately if there is any loss of sensation (numbness), if there are any open areas of skin, or if the finger is cold, pale, or bluish in color.

The doctor will first examine the finger you have injured. They will X-ray the finger to confirm the dislocation and look for any broken bones.

It is not recommended that you treat a finger dislocation at home. A visit to your doctor or the emergency department is usually necessary.

• If you have a dislocated finger, the finger will swell. To prevent further injury to the finger, immediately remove any jewelry, such as rings.
  Apply an ice pack to your injured finger and elevate the hand above the level of your heart.

The doctor may realign the dislocated bones of your finger with a simple technique. This will often require a local anesthetic injection into the finger to help decrease or stop the pain and allow the doctor to reduce the dislocation and realign the bones. You may also receive medications by mouth, injection, or IV to help the pain and ease the reduction.

• Your injured finger will then be placed in a protective splint or be “buddy taped” to the healthy finger next to it.
  The doctor may get a second x-ray to confirm the realignment of your finger and to check for any broken bones that may not have shown up on the first X-ray.

Apply an ice pack to your dislocated finger for 20-30 minutes every 3-4 hours for the first 2-3 days or until the pain and swelling have subsided. This should lessen the pain and swelling that results from the finger dislocation.

• Elevate your injured finger on several pillows while lying down or on the back of a couch or chair while sitting. This will help reduce swelling and the pain that results.
• The doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication to help control the pain of your injury. Take only as directed by your doctor.
• The doctor may refer you to a bone specialist in the week or so following your injury. The specialist will be able to monitor the healing process of your finger.
• Your finger will be splinted for 3-6 weeks if the healing process goes well.
• The doctor may give you exercises to perform during the healing process, which will help strengthen your finger and reduce the chance of decreased function of your finger.

Finger dislocations are usually the result of an accident and accidents are not always preventable. When possible, however, you should avoid getting your finger stuck in objects such as athletic jerseys, basketball nets, and football helmets.

Wear protective gloves when possible.

Remove rings or other jewelry before participating in athletic events and when working with your hands, particularly around machinery.

Most simple finger dislocations can be put back into place easily. Full function in the injured finger will usually return. Mild or moderate discomfort or disability can continue for 12-18 months. You may expect some permanent swelling or disfigurement of the injured joint. There is an increased risk of developing arthritis in the joint later.

Occasionally, a fragment of the dislocated joint or some surrounding tissue can become lodged between the displaced bones. This prevents the bones from going into place. Surgery may be necessary to put the bones into the correct position. Results of this surgery are usually very good, but some function may be lost.

Tendon injuries also may occur with finger dislocations, such as mallet finger, jersey finger, central slip injury, and volar plate injury. If undiagnosed, these injuries can cause permanent loss of function and/or deformities.

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Dislocated Fingers

Written by WebMD Editorial Contributors

In this Article

• Causes of a Dislocated Finger
• Symptoms of a Dislocated Finger
• When to Seek Medical Care for a Dislocated Finger
• Exams and Tests for a Dislocated Finger
• Finger Dislocation Treatment
• Medical Treatment for a Dislocated Finger
• Follow-up Care for a Dislocated Finger
• How to Prevent a Finger Dislocation
• Outlook for a Dislocated Finger

Finger dislocation is a common injury. It occurs when the bones of the finger are moved (dislocated) from their normal position. A dislocated finger can occur in any of the joints of any finger, but it occurs most often in the middle knuckle of the little, ring, middle, or index finger.

A dislocated finger is caused by a “jamming” force to be applied to the end of the finger, or the finger may be forcefully overextended. Either of these situations or a combination of both, can result in a dislocation. For example:

• During sports activities, a basketball or baseball may strike the tip of an outstretched finger.
• Your finger might get caught in equipment such as a game jersey or pads.
• You might fall onto your outstretched hand.

A dislocated finger is usually obvious. The finger appears crooked, swollen and is very painful. It may be bent upward or at strange angles. You probably won’t be able to bend or straighten the finger if it is dislocated. Also:

• Numbness or tingling with a severe dislocation.
• The injured finger may appear a pale color.
• The dislocation may cause a break in the skin where the injury has occurred. If this occurs, you should get medical attention right away.

When you have a dislocated finger, you should see a doctor at once. Delaying a visit to your doctor for a finger dislocation can make final treatment more difficult and can lead to delayed healing or permanent disability.

Seek medical attention immediately if there is any loss of sensation (numbness), if there are any open areas of skin, or if the finger is cold, pale, or bluish in color.

The doctor will first examine the finger you have injured. They will X-ray the finger to confirm the dislocation and look for any broken bones.

It is not recommended that you treat a finger dislocation at home. A visit to your doctor or the emergency department is usually necessary.

• If you have a dislocated finger, the finger will swell. To prevent further injury to the finger, immediately remove any jewelry, such as rings.
  Apply an ice pack to your injured finger and elevate the hand above the level of your heart.

The doctor may realign the dislocated bones of your finger with a simple technique. This will often require a local anesthetic injection into the finger to help decrease or stop the pain and allow the doctor to reduce the dislocation and realign the bones. You may also receive medications by mouth, injection, or IV to help the pain and ease the reduction.

• Your injured finger will then be placed in a protective splint or be “buddy taped” to the healthy finger next to it.
  The doctor may get a second x-ray to confirm the realignment of your finger and to check for any broken bones that may not have shown up on the first X-ray.

Apply an ice pack to your dislocated finger for 20-30 minutes every 3-4 hours for the first 2-3 days or until the pain and swelling have subsided. This should lessen the pain and swelling that results from the finger dislocation.

• Elevate your injured finger on several pillows while lying down or on the back of a couch or chair while sitting. This will help reduce swelling and the pain that results.
• The doctor may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication to help control the pain of your injury. Take only as directed by your doctor.
• The doctor may refer you to a bone specialist in the week or so following your injury. The specialist will be able to monitor the healing process of your finger.
• Your finger will be splinted for 3-6 weeks if the healing process goes well.
• The doctor may give you exercises to perform during the healing process, which will help strengthen your finger and reduce the chance of decreased function of your finger.

Finger dislocations are usually the result of an accident and accidents are not always preventable. When possible, however, you should avoid getting your finger stuck in objects such as athletic jerseys, basketball nets, and football helmets.

Wear protective gloves when possible.

Remove rings or other jewelry before participating in athletic events and when working with your hands, particularly around machinery.

Most simple finger dislocations can be put back into place easily. Full function in the injured finger will usually return. Mild or moderate discomfort or disability can continue for 12-18 months. You may expect some permanent swelling or disfigurement of the injured joint. There is an increased risk of developing arthritis in the joint later.

Occasionally, a fragment of the dislocated joint or some surrounding tissue can become lodged between the displaced bones. This prevents the bones from going into place. Surgery may be necessary to put the bones into the correct position. Results of this surgery are usually very good, but some function may be lost.

Tendon injuries also may occur with finger dislocations, such as mallet finger, jersey finger, central slip injury, and volar plate injury. If undiagnosed, these injuries can cause permanent loss of function and/or deformities.

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Dislocation of the little finger on the leg: types, symptoms and how to treat

Dislocations are a common injury that most often affects the fingers of the extremities. A dislocation of the little finger can be provoked by a banal blow. Accompanied by a fairly strong pain effect, swelling and redness. Visually visible changes in the deformation nature.

Content:

• What is
• Causes and symptoms
• Species
• Diagnostics
• Structure of treatment
• First aid
• Reposition
• Prescribing drugs
• Surgery
• Prophylaxis

What is it?

Dislocation of the little toe on the leg provokes a serious number of problems, since a significant number of nerve endings are located on the toes. With an injury, a sharp pain immediately forms. Most often there is a combination of combined trauma – dislocation and contusion.

The cause of damage is a blow, damage against a solid barrier. Dislocations and bruises often occur in the summer due to the lack of protection of the fingers. The peculiarity lies in the fact that such an injury affects mobility. Since the toes are responsible for the correct distribution of the load and the formation of balance when walking, lameness occurs.

Causes and symptoms

Dislocation of the little toe on the leg occurs on the basis of the following causes:

1. Sudden, unnatural movements of the leg.
2. Impact on any surface (most often furniture, stone).
3. Various injuries of a sports nature during training or various competitions.
4. A sufficiently heavy object has been dropped.
5. Squeezing or jumping from a considerable height.

As far as symptoms are concerned, the dislocation is most often manifested as follows:

• An unnatural situation arises – a forced situation.
• A pronounced deformity of the joint is formed.
• There is a slight twitching, uncontrolled movements, or a complete lack of mobility.
• Initially, severe pain is provoked, which increases during active movements and decreases at the time of rest.
• There is swelling, bruising, certain bruising.

Naturally, walking restrictions are formed, during physical exertion the pain becomes almost unbearable, the performance of daily activities becomes impossible.

Species

Little toe dislocation is classified according to the location of the problem and the time of injury. In the standard version, complete, incomplete, displaced damage is determined. By time:

1. Dislocations fresh that occurred no more than three days ago.
2. Stale , time of injury fourteen days before referral to a specialist.
3. Old . At least two weeks old. Moreover, in this case, additional damage may occur.

It should be said that if the displacement occurred on the basis of a certain pathological disease, then the dislocations are considered pathological, if the cause is trauma – traumatic.

Depending on the direction of damage, they differ:

• Rear.
• Side.
• Plantar dislocations.

On visual inspection, it immediately becomes clear in which direction the displacement occurred relative to the foot. Damage to the plantar part is extremely rare, since there is a fairly powerful ligamentous apparatus here.

Diagnosis

1. Visual inspection.
2. Radiography.
3. Computed tomography.
4. Ultrasonic examination.

Treatment structure

First aid

Immediately after an injury, a serious pain effect is formed, which must be reduced, it is also very important to ensure minimal mobility so as not to worsen the condition of damaged tissues. You need to act like this:

• Place your finger on the damaged area.
• Bandage or simply rest.
• Take an anesthetic tablet (if necessary), see a specialist.

Reduction

Reduction becomes the basis for the treatment of almost any dislocation. These actions must be carried out exclusively by an experienced specialist. Fresh injuries are reduced without much difficulty and are performed after anesthesia (novocaine solution is used). If we are talking about a stale injury, then a needle is passed through the phalanx and traction is done (a specialized traction process).

After the performed manipulations, will require immobilization . Most often in this case, adhesive bandages are used. If we are talking about dislocations of the multiple type, a plaster-format bandage is used. The term of complete healing is up to three weeks.

Prescribing drugs

To reduce the level of pain, prevent the possibility of inflammation, Movalis or Ortofen is used. Muscle relaxants are also prescribed, which can reduce muscle spasm – Tolizor, Mydocalm. After reduction, it is recommended to use ointments and gels with a warming and analgesic effect.

Surgical intervention

Chronic dislocations of the little finger are treated surgically, which allows you to fully restore its main functions. Basically, the process of leveling the position is carried out by means of a special knitting needle. In certain cases, resection followed by traction is used.

Recovery is based on the use of physiotherapy, gymnastics and massage.

Prevention

1. Proper nutrition, which includes the consumption of foods with a significant content of calcium for strong bones.
2. Injury prevention – wearing comfortable shoes, wearing athletic shoes when exercising.
3. Strengthening muscles and joints through daily exercise.
4. Refusal of bad habits, which provokes the exclusion of negative factors of influence.
5. Treatment of pathologies that can lead to dislocation of fingers.

first aid. What to do and what not to do with a dislocation

Author

Khasanshin Mansur Minaskhatovich

Candidate of Medical Sciences

Traumatologist-orthopedist

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Dislocation is a pathological condition in which there is a displacement of the articular surfaces relative to each other.

Normal operation of the joint is possible if the articular surfaces of the articulating bones are congruent to each other (that is, their shapes correspond to each other). With a dislocation of the limbs, the bones diverge, congruence is lost, and movement in the joint becomes impossible. Doctors say that dislocation is persistent and complete offset; resistant – because the displaced bones themselves do not converge again, and remain displaced, and complete means that the surfaces that should be in contact do not even partially touch. Usually, when a dislocation occurs, a rupture of the joint capsule occurs, and one of the articular surfaces comes out through this gap. If a partial rather than a complete displacement has occurred, this condition is called not a dislocation, but a subluxation.

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Causes of dislocation

A dislocation can occur in any joint. A typical situation for the occurrence of a dislocation is trauma. So, dislocation occurs if the movement in the joint is excessive (going beyond normal mobility). As a rule, this is a forced movement (for example, as a result of a fall: a person falls on an arm pulled back and gets a dislocation of the shoulder). Also, a blow to the joint area can lead to dislocation. Dislocations caused by trauma are called traumatic.

A dislocation can also have a non-traumatic origin. In this case, it is caused by the destruction of the articular ends of the bones as a result of diseases such as poliomyelitis, osteomyelitis, arthritis, arthrosis, and tuberculosis. Such dislocations are called pathological.

There are also congenital dislocations. Pathology in this case occurs even at the intrauterine stage of fetal development.

The so-called habitual dislocations are especially considered. A habitual dislocation is a dislocation that occurs in the same joint even with a slight traumatic impact. This is due to the weakness of the articular apparatus (capsule, ligaments, muscles) or changes in the configuration of the articular surfaces. In most cases, a habitual dislocation occurs if, after the reduction of a traumatic dislocation, mobility was returned to the joint too soon.

Dislocation symptoms

Dislocation as a result of an injury is usually accompanied by a characteristic pop. Edema develops in the area of ​​the damaged joint, the patient may feel tingling, numbness, heat (the affected joint “burns”).

The main symptoms of a dislocation are:

Joint pain

Pain worse when trying to move. The patient discovers the impossibility or significant limitation of movement in the joint.

Joint deformity

The joint changes its shape. This is usually seen with a simple visual inspection.

Dislocation diagnostic methods

The main diagnostic procedure in case of dislocation is the X-ray of the damaged joint.

X-rays

X-rays will help make sure that the dislocation is not accompanied by a fracture or crack (incomplete fracture).

More about the diagnostic method

To accurately diagnose the disease, make an appointment with the specialists of the Family Doctor network.

Methods of treatment of dislocation

What to do in case of dislocation

In the event of a dislocation, first of all, it is necessary to ensure the immobilization of the affected joint (that is, to ensure its immobility). It is best to apply a splint, but if this is not possible, immobilization should be carried out at the expense of improvised means – a scarf, a piece of cloth, etc. To reduce swelling and relieve pain, it is recommended to use a cold compress. Crushed ice from the freezer will do, or a cold water bottle can also be used. You can take pain medication.

The dislocation must be corrected, and it is desirable to do this quickly. If the dislocation is not reduced within 1-2 days, the developed swelling will greatly complicate the reduction, and a surgical operation (tissue incision) may be required to treat the dislocation.