Fractured phalanx, or broken finger bones, is one of the most common injuries faced by doctors in the emergency department. However, before visiting the hospital, it is helpful to determine if your finger is actually broken. A sprained or torn ligament is also painful, but does not require an emergency room treatment, while a broken bone can cause internal bleeding or other problems that require immediate medical attention.
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Part 1 of 4: Recognizing a Broken Finger
Step 1. Check the pain and the intensity of the pain
The first sign of a broken finger is pain. You will feel pain depending on the severity of the injury. After sustaining a finger injury, treat it with care and observe the intensity of your pain.
- Finger fractures are difficult to determine directly because acute pain and tenderness are also symptoms of dislocations and sprains.
- Watch for other symptoms and/or seek medical attention if you have any doubts about the severity of the injury.
Step 2. Check for swelling and bruising
After the finger bone is broken, you will feel acute pain followed by swelling and bruising. Both are the body's natural response to injury. After a bone is broken, the body activates an inflammatory response followed by swelling due to the release of fluid from the surrounding tissue.
- Swelling is often followed by bruising. These sores form when the capillaries around the injury site swell or burst due to increased fluid pressure.
- At first, confirming your finger is broken may be difficult because you can still move it. Once the finger is moved, swelling and bruising will start to become obvious. The swelling may also extend to the other fingers or to the palm of the hand.
- You will likely notice swelling and bruising within 10-15 minutes of first experiencing finger pain.
- However, mild swelling without bruising may indicate a sprain rather than a fracture.
Step 3. Watch for changes in shape or your inability to move your finger
Finger fractures are caused by a crack or break in one or more bone segments. The change in the shape of the bone may appear as a lump on the finger, or a finger pointing in a different direction.
- If your finger doesn't appear straight, it's likely a broken bone.
- You usually can't move a broken finger because one or more of the bone segments are no longer connected.
- Swelling and bruising may also make your finger too stiff to move comfortably after an injury.
Step 4. Know when to seek medical help
Visit the nearest emergency room if you suspect a broken finger bone. Fractures are complex injuries and their severity cannot be estimated from the appearance of the symptoms. Some fractures require more thorough treatment in order to heal properly. If you have any doubts about what injury you have, it's better to take steps to be safe and see a doctor.
- Seek immediate medical attention if you experience severe pain, severe swelling and bruising, changes in the shape of your fingers or difficulty moving your fingers.
- Children with finger injuries should always be seen by a doctor. Bones that are still young and growing are more susceptible to injury and complications due to improper handling.
- If the fracture is not treated by a healthcare professional, it is likely that your fingers and hands will still feel stiff and painful when you move them.
- Bones that stray out of position can make it more difficult for you to use your hands.
Part 2 of 4: Diagnosing a Broken Finger at the Doctor's Clinic
Step 1. Have a physical examination
Seek medical attention if you suspect you have a finger fracture. During a physical exam, the doctor will examine the injury and determine the severity of the injury.
- The doctor will pay attention to the range of motion of your fingers by asking you to make a fist. The doctor will also check for visual signs such as swelling, bruising, and changes in the shape of the bones.
- The doctor will also manually examine the finger for signs of reduced blood flow to the injury site and pinched nerves.
Step 2. Request a test scan
If your doctor can't confirm a finger fracture from a physical exam, you may be ordered to undergo a scan to confirm the diagnosis. These tests include taking X-rays, CT scans, or MRIs.
- The first scan test used to diagnose a fracture is usually an X-ray. The doctor will place the suspected fractured finger between the X-ray source and the detector, and then a low beam of radiation will be emitted through the finger to create an image. This process usually only takes a few minutes and is painless.
- A CT or computed tomography scan image is obtained by combining X-rays of several angles of the injury. The doctor may decide to use a CT scan to get an image of the broken bone if the X-ray is not clear, or if the doctor suspects soft tissue is in the fractured bone.
- An MRI test may be needed if your doctor suspects you have a hairline fracture or compression fracture. An MRI produces a more detailed image that can help your doctor distinguish between a soft tissue injury and a hairline fracture on your finger.
Step 3. Ask if you need to consult a surgeon
Consultation with a surgeon may be necessary if your fracture is severe, such as an open fracture. Some fractures are unstable and require surgery to reposition the bone fragments with aids such as wires and bolts so they can heal properly.
- Fractures that impede movement and greatly alter the position of the hand may require surgery to restore mobility.
- You may be surprised at how difficult it is to perform daily tasks without being able to use all your fingers. Professions such as chiropractors, surgeons, artists, and mechanics need fine motor skills to be able to get the job done well. So, treating finger fractures is important.
Part 3 of 4: Treating Finger Fractures
Step 1. Apply a cold compress, bandage, and elevate the position
Treat swelling and pain by applying ice, bandaging, and elevating the finger. The sooner you provide first aid to an injury, the better. Make sure to rest your fingers too.
- Give an ice pack. Cover a bag of frozen vegetables or an ice pack with a thin towel and gently apply it to your finger to reduce swelling and pain. Apply a cold compress immediately after the injury for no more than 20 minutes as needed.
- Wrap a bandage. Apply an elastic bandage gently but tightly to the finger to help reduce swelling and limit finger movement. At the initial check-up with your doctor, ask if you can put a bandage on the finger to reduce the risk of the swelling getting worse and limiting the movement of the other finger in the future.
- Elevate the hand position. Elevate your fingers above your heart whenever possible. You may feel most comfortable sitting on the couch with your feet on the pillow and your wrists and fingers on the back of the sofa.
- You should also not use the injured finger in your daily activities until approved by your doctor.
Step 2. Ask your doctor if you need a splint
A splint is used to limit the movement of the broken finger to prevent more serious injury. You can make a homemade splint out of an ice cream stick and loose bandage until your doctor can give you a better dressing.
- The type of splint needed depends on the position of the injured finger. A finger that has a minor injury can be bandaged with the finger next to it to prevent movement.
- Back brace splints can prevent back arches of the fingers. A soft splint is attached to bend your finger slightly towards the palm and is tied with a soft string.
- The U-shaped aluminum splint is a hard splint that limits finger elongation. This splint is placed behind the injured finger to limit its movement.
- In more severe cases, the doctor may place a tough fiberglass splint all the way down to the wrist, much like a small cast of a finger.
Step 3. Ask your doctor if you need to have surgery
Surgery is needed to repair the fracture if splinting and time cannot heal it effectively. In general, fractures that require surgery are more complicated than injuries that require only a splint.
Open fractures, unstable fractures, loose bone fragments, and fractures that interfere with the joints need to be treated surgically because the bone fragments must be returned to their original place in order to heal in the proper arrangement
Step 4. Use pain medication
Your doctor may recommend that you take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to help control pain from a finger fracture. NSAIDs work by reducing the long-term negative effects of inflammation and relieving pain and pressure on nerves and tissues around the injury site. However, NSAIDs do not impede the injury recovery process.
- NSAIDs commonly used in fractures include ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen sodium (Aleve). You can also use paracetamol (Panadol), only this drug is not a NSAID so it can't reduce inflammation.
- Your doctor may also prescribe a codeine-based medication to control severe pain in the short term. Pain is likely to get worse early in the recovery process and the doctor will reduce it with prescription medication during the recovery period.
Step 5. Continue treatment by a doctor or specialist as recommended
Your doctor may ask you to re-examine your condition a few weeks after the first treatment. Your doctor may ask you to have another X-ray test 1-2 weeks after the injury to monitor your recovery. Be sure to continue treatment to ensure your condition is fully recovered.
If you have any questions about an injury or anything else, contact your doctor's clinic
Step 6. Understand the complications
In general, finger fractures will heal well within 4-6 weeks after consulting a doctor. The risk of complications from a finger fracture is not great, but knowing about it will benefit you:
- Joint stiffness may result from the formation of scar tissue around the fracture site. This can be treated with physical therapy to strengthen finger muscles and reduce scarring.
- Some of the finger bones may rotate during healing and cause changes in the position of the bones which will require surgery to allow you to grip objects properly.
- Two broken pieces of bone may not be able to reconnect properly and result in an unstable fracture. This complication is known as “nonunion”.
- Skin infections may occur if there is an open wound at the fracture site that is not cleaned properly before surgery.
Part 4 of 4: Understanding the Types of Fractures
Step 1. Understand finger fractures
The human hand is made up of 27 bones: 8 in the wrist (carpal bones), 5 in the palm (metacarpal bones), and three sets of phalanx bones in the fingers (14 bones).
- The proximal phalanx is the longest part of the finger that is closest to the palm of the hand. The middle phalanx is in the next position, and the distal phalanx is farthest away and forms the tip of the finger.
- Acute injuries such as falls, accidents, and during sports are the most common causes of finger fractures. Your fingertips are the most prone to injury because they are involved in almost every activity you do throughout the day.
Step 2. Identify stable fractures
Stable fractures are fractures that are accompanied by little or no shift in the position of the bones on both sides of the fracture, so they are also known as nondysplastic fractures. These stable fractures are difficult to identify and may exhibit similar symptoms to other forms of trauma.
Step 3. Identify a dysplastic fracture
Fractures that cause the two sides of the fracture not to touch each other or parallel to each other are included in dysplastic fractures.
Step 4. Recognize an open fracture
A fracture that causes the broken bone to shift and part of it into the skin is called an open fracture. The severity of the injury to the bone and the surrounding area means that it almost always requires medical attention.
Step 5. Identify comminuted fractures
This fracture is classified as a dysplastic fracture but causes the bone to break into three or more parts. Although not always, these cases are often associated with severe tissue damage. Extreme pain and the inability to move a broken finger are often associated with comminuted fractures, making these injuries easier to diagnose.
