A finger breaks when a bone is fractured inside it. The thumb has two bones, while the other fingers have three. A finger fracture is a fairly common injury, which can occur from a fall during a sporting activity, when a finger gets stuck in the car door, or in other accidents. To properly treat the injured finger, you must first determine the severity of the damage. So you can put some home remedies in place before you go to the nearest hospital.
Steps
Part 1 of 4: Determine the Severity of the Injury
Step 1. Check if your finger is bruised or swollen
These symptoms are due to the rupture of the thin blood vessels in the finger. If you have fractured your third phalanx, you will likely see purplish blood under your fingernail and a bruise on your fingertip.
- You may also experience sharp pain when you touch your finger. This is a clear sign of a fracture. Some people are still able to move their finger despite it being broken and may experience numbness or a dull ache. However, these could still be symptoms of a fracture that requires immediate medical attention.
- Check for loss of sensation or capillary filling. This is the return of blood flow to the finger after applying pressure.
Step 2. Look at your finger for any cuts or exposed bones
You may notice a large wound or piece of bone that has pierced the skin and is sticking out. In this case it is a serious fracture, called displaced, and you must go to the emergency room immediately.
If the wound on your finger is bleeding profusely, you should immediately go to the emergency facilities
Step 3. Be careful if your finger looks deformed
If part of the finger is facing another direction, the bone is likely broken or displaced. In this case it has come out of its original position and the joint, like a knuckle, appears deformed. If the bone is dislocated, you need to go to the emergency room.
- There are three bones in each finger of the hand and they are all connected in the same way. The first is called the proximal phalanx, the second middle phalanx, and the one furthest from the hand is called the distal phalanx. Since the thumb is shorter, it has no middle phalanx. The knuckles are joints formed by the bones of the fingers. Often the fracture occurs at this point.
- Fingertip (distal phalanx) fractures are typically easier to treat than those that occur in the joints or knuckles.
Step 4. See if the swelling and pain go away after a couple of hours
If the finger is not deformed, is not bruised, and the pain and swelling are reduced, the finger may just be sprained. This occurs when the ligaments, the bands of tissue that hold the bones together with the joint, are overstretched.
If you are concerned about having a sprained finger, avoid using it. See if the pain and swelling subside within a day or two. If this does not happen, you should contact your doctor to know for sure if the finger is actually sprained or broken. It will be possible to determine the type of injury by means of an x-ray and a medical examination
Part 2 of 4: Immediate Treatments Before Seeing Your Doctor
Step 1. Apply ice
Wrap some ice in a towel and place it on your finger as you go to the emergency room. This helps reduce swelling and hematoma. Never keep ice in direct contact with the skin.
While applying ice, lift your finger higher than your heart. This also causes gravity to help reduce swelling and bleeding
Step 2. Put on a splint
This device allows you to keep your finger raised and stationary in place. Here's how to make one:
- Take a thin object, at least as long as your fractured finger, such as a popsicle stick or pen.
- Place it next to your broken finger or ask a friend or family member to help you place it.
- Use medical tape to wrap the stick or pen together with your finger. Don't over tighten; the tape should not pinch or pinch your finger. If you wrap it too much, the swelling may get worse and the blood circulation in the area will be cut off.
Step 3. Remove all rings or jewelry
If possible, remove any rings from the sore finger before it starts to swell. It may become a lot harder to take them off once your finger has swollen and started to ache.
Part 3 of 4: Getting Medical Treatment
Step 1. Get examined by the orthopedist
He may ask you for some information about your medical history, undergo an examination to get more details about your state of health and to understand how the injury to your finger occurred. In addition, it will check for the type of deformity, neurovascular integrity, malrotation of the finger, and skin laceration or injury.
Step 2. Get X-rays
This procedure allows the doctor to obtain confirmation or not of the fracture of the finger. There are two types of fracture: simple and exposed. The type of lesion also determines the treatment to be followed:
- In a simple fracture, the bone breaks or cracks without piercing the skin.
- When the fracture is exposed, part of the bone exits through the skin.
Step 3. Let the doctor put a splint on your finger if the fracture is simple
In this case the finger is stable and there are no open wounds or cuts on the skin. Symptoms do not usually get worse and there will be no complications with the motility of the area once the finger is healed.
- In some cases, the doctor may bandage the injured finger together with the neighboring one. The splint holds the finger in place until it heals.
- In other cases the orthopedist puts the bone back in its correct position following the procedure called reduction. You will be given local anesthesia to numb the area, then the doctor will proceed to realign the bone.
Step 4. Talk to your doctor about pain relievers
You can take over-the-counter medications to reduce pain and swelling, but you should first ask your doctor what medications are right for you and how many times a day you can take them.
- They may also prescribe stronger medications to reduce pain, based on the severity of the injury.
- If you have an open wound, antibiotics or a tetanus vaccine will be needed. These drugs prevent any infections caused by bacteria that entered the body through the cut.
Step 5. Consider having surgery if the fracture is open or severe
In this case, surgery is required to stabilize the broken bone.
- Your doctor may also recommend open reduction surgery. The procedure consists of a small cut on the finger in order to make the fractured area visible and to reposition the bone. In some cases, the surgeon may place small wires or plates and screws to hold the bone in place and allow it to heal properly.
- These pins will be removed once the finger is healed.
Step 6. Ask for the name of an orthopedist who specializes in hand surgery
If you have an open or severe fracture, nerve injury, or the local vascular system is compromised, your treating doctor may recommend an orthopedic surgeon (bone and joint specialist) who specializes in hand injuries.
This specialist will examine the type of injury and assess whether surgery is required
Part 4 of 4: Caring for the Injury
Step 1. Keep the splint clean, dry and keep your finger raised
This will prevent any infection, especially if you have a cut or wound on your finger. Also keep it elevated as much as possible to keep the bone in the correct position and facilitate the healing process.
Step 2. Do not use your finger or hand until you have been examined by the doctor
Use your uninjured hand to do everyday activities, such as eating, going to the bathroom, and grabbing objects. It is important to give your finger time to heal without moving it or handling the splint.
- See your doctor or specialist for a follow-up visit one week after the initial treatment. On that occasion the orthopedist will check that the bone fragments are aligned correctly and that the healing process is proceeding as expected.
- If you have suffered multiple fractures, your finger will need to rest for at least 6 weeks before resuming any sports or work activities.
Step 3. Start moving your finger once the splint has been removed
As soon as your doctor confirms that your finger is healed and removes the bandage, it's important to start moving it again. If it has been splinted for a long time or if you keep it still even after removing the splint, the joint may stiffen and it will become more difficult to regain normal motion.
Step 4. See a physical therapist if the injury is severe
It will advise you how to recover normal finger movement. It will also invite you to do some gentle exercises that you can perform at home to move your finger correctly and regain its normal functionality.
