Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Evaluating the situation
• Part 2 of 3: Visually examine the knuckle
• Part 3 of 3: Test the mobility
• Tips
• Warnings

A broken knuckle can be very painful. It can also complicate your life if you have a job that requires you to use your hands. Sometimes it is difficult to tell if your knuckle is actually broken or just bruised. A badly broken knuckle usually requires medical treatment, while a bruise or small fracture may heal on its own. Learn how to identify a broken knuckle so you can seek the necessary treatment.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Evaluating the situation

1. A crackling sensation. Many people who have broken their knuckles report a snapping or clicking sensation when the fracture occurred. This feeling can be caused by the breaking of the bone or by pieces of the bone shooting out of position. If you feel this way, it is good to stop what you are doing and examine your hand.
   • The snapping feeling is not always present when a knuckle breaks. Whether or not you experience this feeling depends on the severity of the fracture.
2. Identify the cause of the injury. A broken knuckle is often referred to as a “boxer's fracture” because it usually happens by hitting a hard surface with a fist. Did you hit a wall or other immovable object when the injury occurred? Maybe you fought? If you hit something hard, chances are you have a broken knuckle.
   • There are also other ways to break your knuckle that are less common. You can also break your knuckle during a fall, working with machines, or during any other activity that exposes your hand.
   • Some doctors now call a broken knuckle a fighter's fracture rather than a boxer's fracture, because boxers prevent broken knuckles by wearing protective equipment. You are more likely to break a knuckle if you hit something with your bare fist.
3. Feel the pain immediately. A broken knuckle is accompanied by severe, immediate pain. As soon as the injury occurs, you will feel a sharp pain in your hand, followed by an intense throbbing sensation. Depending on your pain tolerance, this feeling can be disabling and force you to stop what you are doing.
   • If it is just a small fracture, the pain may be less severe. However, it is good to stop using your hand anyway, as you may aggravate the injury.
4. Take the temperature of your hand. The moment you break the knuckle, extra blood will start flowing to your hand. This will make your hand feel hot. Compare the temperature of your injured hand with that of your other hand. If the injured hand feels much warmer than the other hand, your knuckle may be broken.

Part 2 of 3: Visually examine the knuckle

1. Check for swelling. If the knuckle is broken, it will start to swell after about 10 minutes. The swelling will concentrate around the broken knuckle and can spread to the rest of your hand. The swelling from a broken knuckle can be very serious. If there is a lot of swelling, it can be difficult to move your hand.
   • When your knuckle starts to swell, you may also experience a tingling, numb feeling.
   • Take aspirin, ibuprofen, or another standard pain reliever to reduce swelling and pain.
   • Doctors may not be able to work on your hand if there is too much swelling. Applying a cooling compress to the swelling can help relieve it. Wrap one ice pack in a tea towel and place it on the knuckle, you can also use a bag of frozen vegetables. Keep it ice pack Always on your hand for up to 20 minutes and then let your skin warm to normal temperature before reapplying the ice.
2. Watch for bruises. A bruise from a broken knuckle will show up much more quickly than a normal bruise. Since blood is quickly pumped to the injury, the affected area will begin to discolor within minutes. This also makes the injury very sensitive, one touch alone will likely hurt a lot.
   • There are cases where discoloration does not occur after a bone fracture, but this happens very rarely.
   • Hold your hand high to reduce the bruise. Hold your hand higher than your heart, this will drain the blood from the injury.
3. Find a sunken knuckle. A clear way to tell if your knuckle is broken is to see if it has dropped lower than your other knuckles. If possible, make a fist of the injured hand and examine the knuckles. They must stick out. If you can't see one of the knuckles, it must be broken.
   • The fracture can affect the position or angulation of the knuckle, causing it to sink.
4. Find the places where the skin is open. If there is bone poking through the skin, you have an open fracture. Surgery will then be required to repair the fracture. Make sure to disinfect the entire area. An open wound around a broken bone is easily infected, making the injury much more difficult to treat.
   • It may be painful to disinfect your sensitive knuckle, but it is very important that you do it.
   • Make sure your wound is completely dry, as moisture makes it easier for bacteria to grow. You can also cover the wound with sterile gauze to prevent infection.
   • Remove any loose pieces of material from the wound. If something sticks to your knuckle, leave it for the doctors.

Part 3 of 3: Test the mobility

1. Bend your finger. Try bending the injured finger to check for knuckle dislocation and twisting. If the knuckle is dislocated, you may not be able to bend the finger completely because the bone has moved so that you cannot use your finger. If the bone is twisted, you may be able to bend the finger, but it will point towards your thumb. Rotation of the bone means that the bone has been turned in such a way that the finger bends in a different direction than normal.
   • If the bone is twisted or dislocated, a doctor will have to put it.
   • A twisted or dislocated knuckle will take longer to heal than a knuckle that is broken on its own.
2. Make a fist. If the knuckle is broken, it will be very difficult to close your hand completely. You can estimate the severity of your injury by trying to make a fist. If the knuckle is broken, your hand may be too swollen to bend or painful to move. You may also be able to close the fist with all fingers, except the one whose knuckle is broken. If you can make a full fist with a broken knuckle, the injured finger will not line up properly with the rest of your fingers.
   • Don't force yourself. Trying really hard to bite through the pain to make a fist could make the injury or dislocation of the knuckle worse.
3. Grab something. A broken knuckle will drastically reduce the strength in your fingers. Your brain can shut down the muscles around a serious injury to prevent further damage. If you're struggling to get a good grip on something, chances are your brain is trying to protect the broken knuckle.
   • If there is only a small crack in your knuckle, the reduction in strength in the fingers will be less noticeable. If you suspect a crack in the bone, take it easy. Grasping something too hard can aggravate the small fracture and make it more severe.
4. Try your wrist. Your knuckle is at the top of the metacarpal. The bottom of the metacarpal is connected to the wrist. Since the two bones are connected, a broken knuckle can affect the mobility of your wrist. Move your wrist from side to side. If you feel a sharp twinge of pain in your hand, you probably have a broken knuckle.
5. Get yourself treated. If you suspect you have a broken knuckle, see a doctor or an emergency room as soon as possible for treatment. You will likely need to wear a splint or brace for several weeks until the knuckle has healed. Gisp is often not necessary for fractures in the hand and fingers.

Tips

• To keep your knuckle in place, you can splint it on another finger.
• If you think your knuckle is broken, see a doctor as soon as possible. A doctor can take an X-ray to confirm your suspicion.
• Always cover open wounds to prevent bacteria from entering.
• If the wound is bleeding, wash it with cold water.

Warnings

• Never try to continue working with a broken knuckle. You can worsen a small tear into a serious fracture.
• Avoid hitting solid objects to avoid breaking knuckles. If you box or practice any other martial art, wear protective equipment.
• Sometimes broken knuckles do require surgery. If surgery is needed, it will likely take longer for the knuckle to heal.
• If you have a serious fracture that needs a cast, the healing process can take up to 6 weeks. Be prepared to miss work if your job requires the use of your hands.