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This article was co-written by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS. Luba Lee is a licensed family physician practicing in Tennessee. She received her MSN from the University of Tennessee in 2006.
There are 12 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 29,740 times.
A finger fracture is an accident when one of the finger bones breaks. The thumb has two bone segments, the remaining fingers have three segments. A broken finger is a common injury that can be caused by a fall while playing sports, getting your hand stuck in a car door, or other accidents. To properly treat a broken finger, you must first determine the severity of the injury, then provide first aid on the spot before going to the nearest hospital. [1] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source
Steps
Determine the severity of the wound
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Check your finger for bruising or swelling. Swelling or bruising occurs when small blood vessels in the finger burst. If the finger bone is broken, there is a chance that purple hematomas will appear under your nail and the finger will bruise again. [2] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source
- You will also feel severe pain if you touch your finger. That is a sign of a broken finger. Some people can still move their finger even though it’s broken, with only mild numbness or pain. However, this can again be a risk of breaking or breaking a finger bone and you need immediate medical treatment. [3] X Research Sources
- Check the finger for loss of sensation or inability to pump blood to the capillaries. Capillary pumping is the pushing of blood back to the fingers under pressure.
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Check to see if the finger has an open wound or a bony protrusion. You may see a sizable open wound or part of a bone when the skin is torn and the bone protrudes from the skin. These signs indicate that your condition is quite serious. If this happens, immediately seek medical attention. [4] X Research Sources
- Or, if there is excessive bleeding from the mouth of an open wound, you should also see a doctor right away. [5] X Research Sources
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Check finger deformity. If a segment of the finger is pointed in the other direction, the bone is most likely broken or dislocated. A finger dislocation occurs when the bone is displaced from its original position and usually occurs only in joints such as the knuckles. [6] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source See your doctor if you dislocate your finger.
- There are three bone segments in each finger and they are arranged in the same order. The first bone is called the basal phalangeal bone, the second is the middle phalangeal bone, and the outer bone is called the distal phalangeal bone. Since the thumb is the shortest finger, it has no middle knuckle bone. Usually we break fingers at knuckles or joints. [7] X Research Sources
- Distal knuckle fractures are usually easier to treat than joint or knuckle fractures. [8] X Research Sources
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Note whether the pain and swelling subsides after a few hours. If the finger is not deformed and the pain and swelling subside, you may just have a sprain. Sprains occur when the ligaments (the cellular cords that hold the bones in the finger together at the finger joints) are stretched too much. [9] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source
- If you have a sprain, you should avoid moving that finger. Your hand should be better in 1 to 2 days. And if nothing works, you must treat the situation with medical measures to make sure your finger is just sprained or it could be worse. X-rays are the way to know exactly that.
First aid on the way to the doctor
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Apply ice. Wrap ice in a towel and put it on your finger on the way to the clinic. This helps reduce bruising and swelling. Do not apply ice directly to the wound. [10] X Research Source
- Hold your finger above your heart to help reduce swelling and blood loss.
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Splint the wound. The splint will keep the finger bones from shifting. To splint the wound, you need:
- Use an object as thin and as long as the broken finger, such as a pen or ice cream stick.
- Place the splint on the broken finger or ask a friend or loved one to hold it in place.
- Use gauze to secure the pen/stick to your finger. Tie it back slowly. Do not squeeze too tightly or it will lead to swelling and interfere with blood circulation in the injured finger. [11] X Research Source
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Remove the ring or bracelet. If possible, try to remove the ring on your finger before it swells. It becomes even more difficult to remove it once the finger is swollen and painful. [12] X Research Source
Receiving medical treatment
Receive a doctor’s visit. Your doctor needs to know your treatment history and examine you for more information and the cause of the wound. The specialist will check the deformity, the integrity of the nerve on the finger, along with the torn or injured skin.
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Finger X-ray. This allows your doctor to determine if your finger bones are broken. There are two common types: simple and complex. Each type of fracture has its own treatment. [13] X Research Source
- A simple fracture is a break or crack inside the bone without tearing the skin. [14] X Trusted Source Seattle Children’s Hospital Go to Source
- A complex fracture is a bone that protrudes from the skin. [15] X Trusted Source Seattle Children’s Hospital Go to Source
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Have your doctor bandage your finger if you have a simple fracture. Simple fractures are fairly stable, with no open wounds or cuts in the skin. Symptoms will not get worse and won’t affect your ability to work your fingers later. [16] X Research Source
- In some cases, the doctor will tie the broken finger in with another finger next to it, acting as a splint. The splint will hold the finger in the correct position for healing. [17] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source
- The doctor can also move the bone back to its original position, called osteopathy. You will be given a local anesthetic to numb the injured area so that the doctor can correct the position of the bone.
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Consult a specialist about pain relievers. You can take medication to reduce pain and swelling, but you should still seek professional advice about which medication to use and how much to use. [18] X Research Sources
- Your doctor may also prescribe pain medication based on the severity of the injury.
- If you have an open wound on your finger, you will need antibiotics and a tetanus shot. These medicines protect you from bacterial attack from the wound.
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Consider surgery if the wound is too severe. If the broken bone is too severe, you will need surgery to fix the broken pieces of bone.
- Your doctor may recommend an open surgery. The surgeon will make a small cut in your finger to see the broken bone and realign it. In some cases, they will use a small wire or splint and screws to fix the bone to gradually recover. [19] X Trusted Source Seattle Children’s Hospital Go to source
- These items will be removed after the finger has fully recovered.
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Get a referral to an orthopedic surgeon or hand surgeon. If you have a severe fracture, serious injury, or damage to your blood vessels, your doctor will advise you with an orthopedic surgeon (who specializes in bones and joints) or with a hand surgeon. [20] X Research Source
- These specialists will look at the wound and decide if you need to have surgery.
Wound care
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Keep the cast area overhead, clean and dry. This will prevent external influences, especially if you have an open wound or cut on your hand. Keeping the finger overhead will help the finger stay in the correct position and recover easily. [21] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source
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Do not use fingers or hands until the day of the follow-up visit. Use the uninjured hand for personal tasks such as eating, bathing, and holding objects. It is very important to allow the finger time to recover, to be inactive or to cause any damage to the bandaged area. [22] X Research Source
- A follow-up appointment with your doctor or hand specialist should be one week after starting treatment. During the follow-up visit, your doctor will check to see if the bone fragments are still in place and in the process of healing. [23] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source
- With most fractures, the finger will take up to 6 weeks of rest before returning to normal sports or work activities.
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Start moving your fingers once the cast is removed. As soon as the doctor is sure that the finger is healed and the cast can be removed, move the finger. If you keep the cast for too long or move your fingers very little after the cast is removed, the joints will stiffen and it will be difficult to move your fingers flexibly. [24] X Trusted Source National Health Service (UK) Go to Source
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See a therapist if the wound is too severe. Your therapist will give you advice on how to move your fingers normally. Your doctor can also give you hand exercises that you can do to keep your finger moving and regain flexibility. [25] X Research Sources
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This article was co-written by Luba Lee, FNP-BC, MS. Luba Lee is a licensed family physician practicing in Tennessee. She received her MSN from the University of Tennessee in 2006.
There are 12 references cited in this article that you can view at the bottom of the page.
This article has been viewed 29,740 times.
A finger fracture is an accident when one of the finger bones breaks. The thumb has two bone segments, the remaining fingers have three segments. A broken finger is a common injury that can be caused by a fall while playing sports, getting your hand stuck in a car door, or other accidents. To properly treat a broken finger, you must first determine the severity of the injury, then provide first aid on the spot before going to the nearest hospital. [1] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source
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