Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Determine if your finger is broken
• Part 2 of 3: See a doctor
• Part 3 of 3: How to treat a broken thumb
• Tips
• Warnings

A thumb fracture can be relatively simple or a multiple joint fracture that requires surgery. A thumb injury can affect daily life, from eating to working, and should be taken seriously. Learn about the symptoms of a broken thumb and how to treat them to help you fully recover from your injury.

Attention:the information in this article is for informational purposes only. Before using any methods, consult your doctor.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Determine if your finger is broken

1. 1 Pay attention to severe pain in your thumb. A broken thumb usually causes severe pain due to irritation and compression of the nerves around the damaged bone. If you do not experience severe pain immediately after the injury, this may indicate that your finger is not broken.
   • Severe pain also occurs when you touch a broken finger or try to bend it.
   • Generally, the closer the pain is to the base of the finger (the joint that connects the thumb to the palm), the more severe the injury and the more difficult the fracture is.
2. 2 Look closely for a crooked finger at the injury site. Check if your thumb looks normal. Is it bent at an unfamiliar angle or is it oddly twisted? You should also look for bone protruding from under the skin. If you notice one of these signs, there is a high chance that your finger is broken.
   • A bruise may also appear on the finger, which indicates a rupture of small vessels in the damaged tissue.
3. 3 Try lifting your finger. If you break your finger, this movement will cause severe, sharp pain. In addition, a fracture usually disrupts the ligaments that connect the bones, making it difficult to move a finger.
   • Among other things, check if you can lift your finger back. If you are able to swing your finger back and it doesn’t hurt, then you probably have a sprain, not a fracture.
4. 4 Look for numbness, tingling, or coldness in your toe. In addition to pain, compression of the nerves in the thumb can lead to numbness, which can be accompanied by a feeling of coldness in the thumb. This is because broken bones and severe swelling block the blood vessels that supply blood to the thumb and surrounding tissues.
   • The thumb may also turn blue due to insufficient blood supply.
5. 5 Look for significant swelling in the thumb area. When a fracture occurs, the surrounding tissue swells due to inflammation. The thumb will begin to swell 5-10 minutes after the injury. As a result, he will become numb and immobile.
   • In addition to the thumb, swelling can spread to adjacent fingers.

Part 2 of 3: See a doctor

1. 1 See a doctor or emergency room. If you suspect you have broken your thumb, you should seek immediate medical attention. Do not hesitate, otherwise the swelling caused by the fracture will make it difficult to reposition the bones, and the finger may remain bent.
   • Among other things, a broken child's thumb can damage growth zones and negatively affect bone growth.
   • Even if you suspect that you have not a fracture, but a sprain (ligament rupture), you need to see your doctor so that he can make the correct diagnosis. In addition, serious sprains may also require medical attention. The doctor will make a final diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.
2. 2 Get a medical check-up. Your doctor will ask you if you are experiencing the symptoms listed in the previous section and examine your injured toe. He can test the strength and mobility of the finger and compare them with a healthy finger. Another test is to touch the tip of your thumb to your index finger and apply pressure to check if the injured finger is loose.
3. 3 Get an X-ray exam. The doctor will likely order x-rays of the thumb from different angles. This will not only confirm the diagnosis, but will also help the doctor determine how many places the bone is broken and prescribe the appropriate treatment. The following x-rays may be taken:
   • Lateral: A lateral X-ray is taken with the palm of the hand on the table with the thumb up.
   • Oblique: This photo is taken with the palm of the hand tilted and thumbs up on its side.
   • Anteroposterior: the palm rests on the table and the picture is taken from top to bottom.
4. 4 Talk to your doctor about computed tomography (CT) scans. CT is also called computed axial tomography. This method allows using X-rays and a computer to obtain an image of various internal areas of the body (in our case, this is the thumb). A CT scan will help the doctor determine what the fracture looks like and choose the best way to fix it.
   • If you are pregnant, tell your doctor as the X-rays used in CT scans can harm the fetus.
5. 5 The doctor will determine the type of fracture. After appropriate tests and tests, the doctor diagnoses the specific type of fracture. The methods and complexity of treatment will depend on this.
   • Extra-articular fractures are fractures of one or two bones of the thumb away from the joints. Although these fractures are painful and take up to 6 weeks to heal, they are usually treated without surgery.
   • Intra-articular fractures involve the joint and often require surgery to restore joint mobility as fully as possible after healing.
   • The most common types of intra-articular thumb fractures are Bennett's fracture and Rolando's fracture. In both fractures, the finger breaks (and often displaces) in the metacarpal-carpal (closest to the hand) joint. The main difference between the two is that a Rolando fracture splits the bone into three or more fragments that must be put in place, and surgery is almost always required, while Bennett's fracture is often treated without surgery.

Part 3 of 3: How to treat a broken thumb

1. 1 Visit an orthopedic surgeon. The podiatrist will look at the x-rays and other tests to determine the best treatment. It will take into account the type of fracture (extra- or intra-articular) and its complexity (Bennett's or Rolando's fracture).
2. 2 Learn about non-surgical treatments. For relatively simple fractures (for example, extra-articular), the doctor can correct the bones manually, without surgery. You will be anesthetized before replacing the broken fragments.
   • In this method (also called closed reduction), the doctor usually applies a tensile force to the bones at the fracture site to return them to their place, while observing them using fluoroscopy (real-time fluoroscopy).
   • Please note that this method is also applicable for some Rolando fractures, especially when the bones are broken into a large number of fragments that need to be fixed with pins or screws, in which case it is called an open reduction.
3. 3 Consider surgery. Intra-articular fractures (Bennett or Rolando fractures) usually require surgery. The specific type of surgery depends on the severity of the fracture (or fractures). The following operations are often performed:
   • With the help of fluoroscopy, they pierce the skin with a wire and fix the bone fragments with it - this is the so-called external fixation. This surgery is usually performed for Bennett's fractures, when the fragments of the bone remain very close to each other.
   • In open palm surgery, small screws or pins are inserted into the bones to hold the fragments in place. This is the so-called internal fixation.
   • After surgery, complications such as nerve or ligament damage, stiffness, and an increased risk of arthritis are possible.
4. 4 Secure the injured finger. Regardless of whether you underwent surgery or were limited to non-invasive treatment, the doctor will apply a coxite plaster cast on your finger to immobilize it and fix bone fragments during healing.
   • The bandage needs to be worn for 2-6 weeks (usually about 6 weeks).
   • Your doctor may schedule follow-up visits to monitor your recovery.
5. 5 See a physical therapist. Depending on how long you will be wearing the bandage and the mobility of your finger after removing it, your doctor may recommend that you see a physical therapist. A physical therapist will show you a set of flexibility and strength exercises that will help restore muscle wasting.

Tips

• For both a fracture and a sprained thumb, it is best to see a doctor for qualified medical attention.

Warnings

• Although this article contains information on a fractured thumb, it should not be construed as a set of medical guidelines. In case of any serious injury, be sure to visit a doctor so that he makes the correct diagnosis and prescribes the appropriate treatment.
• If you are pregnant, tell your doctor before having an x-ray. Babies are more sensitive to X-rays, so it is best to refrain from this method regardless of whether or not your finger is broken.