BROKEN FINGER
A broken finger is a common injury often caused by a trauma to the fingers.
- The fingers are the most frequently fractured part of the hand. They are made up of ligaments, tendons, and bones.
- The fingers are capable of fine, coordinated motions. They let us touch, grasp, and interact with our environment.
- Any sort of trauma to the hand can disrupt these coordinated motions and cause tremendous impacts on very normal activities such as lacing the shoes, typing, eating.
- Because the fingers are used for many daily activities, they are at higher risk than any other part of the body for traumatic injury.
- Broken fingers account for up to 10% of all broken bones.
- it can be hard sometimes to tell if a finger is broken, sprained, or dislocated so any suspicious injury to the fingers should be evaluated by a physician. A delayed diagnosis can lead to a worse long-term outcome such as chronic deformity of a finger.
CAUSES
The main cause of a broken finger is a traumatic injury to the fingers. Trauma can occur from playing sports, punching something, falls, a workplace injury, or in other accidents.
A broken finger can result from abnormal bone within the fingers. This type of fracture is referred to as pathologic fracture and it results from having a condition that causes weakening of the bone leading to susceptibility to fracture. Common causes include osteoporosis, tumors, and infection.
A broken finger can also be caused by an overuse of the fingers.
SYMPTOMS
- Swelling of the finger
- Bruising of the finger
- Pain when touching the bone
- Deformity of the finger
- Difficulty bending the finger
- Numbness in finger
- In severe cases, an exposure of the broken bones.
DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT
The primary tool to make a diagnosis is an X-ray. The X-ray is an imaging test which can be used to evaluate the position of the broken finger bones.
It can also be helpful to ensure no damage to the tendon or any other injury that could alter the treatment recommendations.
TREATMENT
Treatment options depend on the type of fracture and the individual bones or bone in the fingers that are broken.
If the fracture is stable, treatment may be as simple as splinting one finger to another by taping them together. The splint is left in place for about 4 weeks, followed by an additional 2 weeks of limiting finger use.
If the fracture is unstable, the injured finger will need to be immobilized. The simplest way is to apply a splint after re-aligning the fractured fragments. If this does not help with stability, a surgical procedure may be needed. Surgical immobilization ranges from pinning the fractures with small wires, to open procedures with plate and screws.
On your way to the hospital or clinic, you can do the following to help your finger:
- Apply ice wrapped in a cloth to the injured finger to help reduce swelling and pain. Do not apply ice directly to the skin.
- Remove all jewelry or rings from the affected finger
- Make a temporary splint by putting a pen or lollypop stick next to the finger and wrapping something around the stick and finger to hold it in place.
- Keep the affected fingers elevated.