Content

• Steps

A broken finger is an accident when one of the finger bones is broken. The thumb has two bones, the other has three segments. A finger fracture is a common injury that can result from a fall while playing sports, getting your hand caught in a car door or other accidents. To properly treat a broken finger, you must first determine the severity of the injury, and then give first aid on the spot before going to the nearest hospital.

Steps

Part 1 of 4: Determining the severity of the wound

1. 

   Check for any bruises or swelling on the finger. Swelling or bruising occurs when the small blood vessels in your finger rupture. If the finger bone is broken, there is a chance that purple hematomas will appear underneath your fingernails and the finger will bruise again.
   • 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 if it is broken with only a little numbness or pain. However, this could in turn pose the risk of a finger fracture or fracture, and you may need immediate medical treatment.
   • Check for loss of sensation or inability to pump the capillaries with the finger. Capillary pump is the return of blood to the fingers under pressure.

2. 

   
   
   Check for open wounds or bumps on the finger. You may see a fairly large or partial open wound when the skin breaks and causes the bone to protrude from the skin. These signs indicate that your condition is quite severe. If this is the case, immediately seek medical attention.
   • Or, if the bleeding is too much from the open wound, you should see a doctor right away.

3. 

   
   
   Check for finger deformation. If a finger is pointed in the other direction, the bone is likely broken or dislocated. Finger dislocations occur when the bone is displaced from its original position and usually occurs only in joints such as knuckles. See a doctor if you have a dislocated finger.
   • There are three bones in each finger and they are arranged in the same order. The first segment is called the base toe bone, the second is the middle toe bone, and the outer bone is called the distal knuckle. Since the thumb is the shortest finger, it has no middle knuckle. Usually, we often break our fingers in the knuckles or joints.
   • A fracture of a distal knuckle is usually easier to treat than a fracture or a knuckle.

4. 

   
   
   Notice if the pain and swelling subside after a few hours. If the deformity of the finger and the pain and swelling subsides, you may only have a sprain. A sprain occurs when the ligaments (the ligaments that bind the bones in the finger together at the knuckles) are stretched.
   • If you have a sprain, avoid moving the finger. Your hand should be better in 1 to 2 days. If nothing is working, then you have to treat the progress with medical measures to make sure your finger is only sprained or could be worse than that. X-rays are the way to know exactly that.
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Part 2 of 4: First aid on the way to the doctor

1. 

   Apply ice. Cover the ice with a towel and place it on your finger on the way to the clinic. This will help reduce bruising and swelling. Do not apply ice directly to the wound.
   • Keep your finger above your heart to help reduce swelling and blood loss.

2. 

   Splint the wound. The splint will keep the finger bone from being skewed. To splint the wound you need:
   • Use an object as thin and long as the size of a broken finger, such as a pen or popsicle stick.
   • Place the splint immediately on the broken finger or have a friend or relative hold it in place.
   • Fix the pen / stick with your finger with gauze. Slowly tie it up. Do not squeeze too tight or this will lead to swelling and impede blood circulation in the injured finger.

3. 

   Remove the ring or bracelet. If possible, try to remove the ring on your finger before it swells up. It will be even more difficult to remove it once the finger is swollen and sore. advertisement

Part 3 of 4: Getting medical treatment

1. Get a doctor's visit. Your doctor needs to know your treatment history and check it for more information and the cause of the wound. The specialist will check for deformity, integrity of the nerve on the finger along with the skin torn or injured.

2. 

   Finger X-ray. This allows your doctor to determine if your finger bone is fractured. There are two common types: simple and complex. Each type of fracture has its own treatment.
   • A fracture is simply a break or crack inside a bone without tearing the skin.
   • A complex fracture is a bone protruding from the skin.

3. 

   Let your doctor bandage your finger if you have only a simple fracture. A simple fracture is quite stable, with no open wounds or cuts in the skin. The symptoms will not get worse and will not affect your ability to function in the future.
   • In some cases, the doctor will tie the broken finger to the other finger next to it, which acts as a splint. The splint will hold your finger in position to heal.
   • The doctor may also move the bone back to its original position, called the chiropractic method. You will be given a local anesthetic to the injured area so that the doctor will correct the bone position.

4. 

   Ask a pain reliever specialist. You can take medicine to relieve pain and swelling, but you should still consult your specialist about which medicine to take and how much to take it.
   • Your doctor may also prescribe pain relievers based on the severity of the wound.
   • If you have an open wound on your finger, you will need to take antibiotics and a tetanus shot. These drugs protect you from the risk of bacterial attack from the wound.

5. 

   Consider surgery if the injury is too severe. If the broken bone is too severe, you will need surgery to fix the broken bone.
   • Your doctor may recommend an open surgery. The surgeon will make a small cut on your finger to see the broken bone and rearrange it. In some cases, they will use a small wire or brace and screws to secure the bone to gradually heal.
   • These items will be removed after the finger is fully restored.

6. 

   Get a referral on an orthopedic surgeon or hand surgeon. If you have a severe fracture, severe wound, or damaged blood vessel, your doctor will advise you an orthopedic surgeon (specializing in osteoarthritis) or with a hand surgeon.
   • These specialists will look at the wound and decide if you need a surgery.
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Part 4 of 4: Wound care

1. 

   Keep the cast area overhead, clean and dry. This will prevent any external effects, especially if you have an open wound or cut on your hand. Keeping your finger up will help your finger to be in the correct position and recover easily.

2. 

   Do not use your fingers or hands until the day of your visit. Use the non-injured hand for personal tasks such as eating, bathing, and handling objects. It is very important that the finger has time to recover, be inactive or otherwise affect the bandage.
   • The follow-up appointment with the 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 are in the process of recovery.
   • With most fractures, a finger will take up to 6 weeks of rest before returning to normal sports or work.

3. 

   Start moving your fingers once the dough has been removed. As soon as the doctor has made sure that the finger has been healed and that powder can be removed, move the finger. If you hold the cast for too long or have little finger movement after removing the cast, the joints will harden and it will be difficult to move your finger flexibly.

4. 

   See a therapist if the wound is too severe. Your therapist will give you advice on how to move your finger normally. Your doctor can also give you hand exercises that you can do to keep your fingers moving and regain your finger flexibility. advertisement