Content

• Steps
• Warning

A broken finger is one of the most common injuries seen in the emergency room. It's a good idea, however, to determine if you actually broke your finger before going to the hospital. A tense or ruptured ligament can be painful, but not to the point of going to the emergency department. See your doctor if you have a sprain or rupture of a ligament. However, a fracture can lead to internal bleeding or other damage that requires immediate medical attention.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Recognize the signs of a broken finger

1. 

   Check for pain. Pain is the first sign of a broken finger. The severity of the pain depends on the severity of the fracture. After you've injured your finger, handle it with care and monitor the pain.
   • It can be difficult to determine immediately if a finger is broken, as acute pain is also a symptom of sprains and dislocations.
   • Watch for other symptoms and / or seek medical attention if you are unsure of the severity of the injury.

2. 

   
   
   Check for swelling and bruising. After a finger fracture, you should experience pain with swelling or bruising. This is the body's natural response to damage. After a fracture, the body stimulates an inflammatory response with swelling due to fluid secreted into surrounding tissues.
   • Swelling is often accompanied by bruising. This is because the capillaries around the wound swell or rupture in response to increased fluid pressure.
   • It can be difficult to know at first if the finger is fractured as it is still possible to move the finger. After you try to move, swelling and bruising will begin to appear. The swelling can also spread to other fingers or down the palms of the hands.
   • Usually you will see swelling and bruising 5-10 minutes after the pain in your finger is felt.
   • However, mild swelling or no immediate bruising may be more a sign of a sprain than a fracture.

3. 

   
   
   Note the distortion and inability to move the finger. A broken finger includes a broken or broken bone in one or more places. The bone deformity may appear as abnormal lumps on the finger or the finger is crooked in the other direction.
   • A crooked finger may indicate a broken finger.
   • Usually you cannot move your finger if it has broken because one or more of the bones are no longer connected.
   • It is also possible that swelling and bruising causes the finger to be too stiff to move easily after an injury.

4. 

   
   
   Know when to get medical attention. If you think your finger is broken, go to the nearest emergency room. A fracture is a complex injury, and its severity has no obvious manifestation. Some fractures require more than one treatment to heal properly. If you are not sure if you have a fracture, it's best to seek medical attention. Better safe than sorry!
   • If you experience severe pain, swelling, bruising, any deformation or decreased ability to move your finger, seek medical attention.
   • Children with finger injuries should always see a doctor. Young and growing bones are susceptible to injury and complications if the damage is not treated properly.
   • If the fracture is not treated by a medical professional, the finger and hand may still be stiff and painful when you try to move your finger.
   • Incorrectly reconnected bones can interfere with hand function.
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Part 2 of 4: Diagnosing a broken finger at the clinic

1. 

   Clinical examination. If you suspect a finger fracture, seek medical attention. During the examination, your doctor will evaluate the damage and determine the severity of the fracture.
   • Your doctor will check your finger's range of motion by asking you to clasp your hands. They will also watch for external signs such as swelling, bruising, and bone deformity.
   • The doctor will use your hand to check your finger for signs of decreased blood flow to the damaged area and nerve impact.

2. 

   Ask to be examined image. If you are unable to determine if your finger is damaged during a physical exam, your doctor may order imaging tests to diagnose the fracture. These tests include x-rays, computed tomography (CT scan) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
   • An X-ray is often the first imaging test to diagnose a fracture. Your doctor will place your injured finger between the X-ray source and the X-ray detector, and then project low-dose radio waves through your finger to take the picture. This process is completed in a few minutes and is painless.
   • Computed tomography (CT scan) involves using the same x-rays to take multiple angles of an injured finger. Your doctor may decide to have a CT scan if the initial X-ray results are unknown or if you suspect there are soft tissue injuries related to the fracture.
   • An MRI scan may be needed if the doctor suspects a fracture, a type of fracture that occurs after a period of repeated trauma. An MRI scan will give more detailed pictures and may help your doctor differentiate between soft tissue damage and fractured bones in your finger.

3. 

   Ask your doctor if you need surgical advice. Surgery may be needed if you have a serious fracture, such as an open fracture.Some fractures are unstable and require surgery to reposition bones with a support device (such as wire or screws) so that the bone can heal properly.
   • Any fracture that seriously interferes with movement and disfigures the hand requires surgery to regain the joint's motor function.
   • You may be surprised at how difficult it can be to do everyday activities if you cannot use all of your fingers. Professions such as chiropractor, surgeon, painter and mechanic require fine motor skills to be able to do the job correctly. Therefore, taking care of a broken finger is of utmost importance.
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Part 3 of 4: Treating a broken finger

1. 

   Use ice, squeeze and raise. Reduce swelling and pain with ice. Give first aid this way as soon as possible. Remember to rest your fingers.
   • Apply ice to your finger. Wrap a bag of frozen vegetables or an ice pack in a thin towel and gently apply pressure to your finger to reduce swelling and pain. Apply ice right after the injury if needed (do not use it for more than 20 minutes).
   • Apply a bandage to the wound. Wrap the finger gently but securely with the elastic to help reduce swelling and keep your finger motionless. When you first visit your doctor, ask if you should wrap your finger to reduce the risk of further swelling and prevent movement of other fingers.
   • Raise your hand. Whenever possible, raise the injured finger above your heart. You will probably feel most comfortable sitting on a sofa with your feet up on the mattress, wrists and fingers on the back of the chair.
   • Do not use your injured finger for everyday activities until your doctor says it is safe.

2. 

   Ask your doctor if you need a brace. A brace is used to immobilize a broken finger to avoid further damage. You can make a temporary brace with a popsicle stick and bandage until you go to your doctor's office to have it re-wrapped.
   • The type of splint you need depends on the finger that is broken. The “friends” bandage can help with minor fractures to immobilize the injured finger by bandaging the finger next to it.
   • A back-arm stretch splint prevents fingers from bending backwards. A soft splint is placed to keep the injured finger slightly bent toward the palm of the hand and is held in place with a soft bandage.
   • An aluminum U-shaped splint is a flexible aluminum splint that can keep an injured finger from stretching. The splint is placed on the back of the finger to keep the finger motionless.
   • In more severe cases, your doctor may use a fiberglass splint fixed from your finger to your wrist. This is basically the same form of a finger cast.

3. 

   Ask your doctor if you need surgery. Surgery is essential to treat and heal a broken bone if immobilization and waiting have not worked. In general, fractures that require surgery are more complicated than fractures that require immobilization.
   • Open fractures, unstable fractures, fractures into fragments and fractures that damage joints all require surgery, as the broken bones need to be repositioned to help the bones heal in their correct shape original.

4. 

   Take a pain reliever. Your doctor may give you nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help relieve the pain of a fracture. NSAIDs work to reduce the negative effects of long-term inflammation, relieve pain and reduce the pressure on nerves and associated tissues. This drug does not interfere with recovery.
   • Common over-the-counter NSAIDs for pain relief from fractures include ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen sodium (Aleve). You can also take acetaminophen (Tylenol), but it's not an NSAID and doesn't help reduce inflammation.
   • Your doctor may also prescribe codeine based prescription medications for short-term pain relief if you experience severe pain. The pain will not get worse once the wound begins to heal, and the doctor will reduce the dose of medication once the bone has healed.

5. 

   Follow-up according to instructions. Your doctor may make a follow-up visit within a few weeks after your initial treatment. Your doctor will probably order a re-X-ray in 1-2 weeks after the injury to monitor bone recovery. Be sure to have a follow-up visit to make sure your finger is healing.
   • If you have any questions about the injury or any questions, please contact the clinic.

6. 

   Understand the complications. In general, a broken finger will recover very well after consultation with your doctor and the healing time is 4-6 weeks. The risk of complications following a finger fracture is quite low, but you should still be aware of:
   • Hardness can occur as a result of the scar tissue forming around the fracture. This condition can be handled with physical therapy to strengthen the finger muscles and reduce scar tissue.
   • Part of the finger bone can be rotated during the recovery, resulting in deformation and needing surgery to help get everything back in place.
   • The two bones may not fuse together, resulting in permanent instability at the fracture site. This condition is also known as "non-healing."
   • Skin infections can occur if the skin is torn at the break and has not been properly disinfected prior to surgery.
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Part 4 of 4: Understanding the types of fractures

1. 

   Understand finger fractures. The human hand consists of 27 bones: 8 bones in the wrist, 5 bones in the palm of the hand and 3 bones in the fingers (14 bones).
   • The closest knuckles are the longest part of the finger that is close to the palm of the hand. Next is the middle burning, finally the farthest ones that form the "head '' of the finger.
   • Acute injuries like falls, accidents and sports injuries are common causes of finger fractures. The fingertips are one of the most vulnerable parts of the body because they participate in almost every activity in everyday life.

2. 

   Identify the stable fracture pattern. Stable fracture is defined as a fracture of the bone but little or no displacement at both ends. Also known as a nondisplaced fracture, stable fractures can be difficult to identify and exhibit symptoms similar to other types of injury.

3. 

   Know what a displaced fracture is. Any fracture with two main faces of the fracture being out of contact or in alignment is considered a displaced fracture.

4. 

   Recognize the type of a compound fracture. A fracture in which a broken bone is displaced and part of the bone punctured the skin is defined as an open fracture. Because of the severity of the damage to the bones and surrounding tissues, this requires immediate medical attention.

5. 

   Recognize the type of fracture. This is a displaced fracture in which the bone is broken into three or more pieces. Although not always, the condition is often associated with severe damage to surrounding tissue. The intense pain and immobility of the injured limb make this type of lesion easier to diagnose. advertisement

Warning

• Regardless of the advice above, seek medical attention if you think you have been seriously injured.