Broken finger

A Broken finger usually takes place through direct force effects. With appropriate therapy, a broken finger can usually be healed.

What is a broken finger?

In medicine it is used by one Finger fracture spoken when a person has a broken finger bone. Many different bones in the human hand can be affected by a broken finger. The so-called long fingers of the human hand each have three bones that can have a broken finger, whereas the thumb only has two bones.

Depending on the severity of a broken finger, the break can be accompanied by various symptoms: As a rule, a broken finger is accompanied by severe pain. In addition, an affected finger may show swelling. If the end phalanx of a finger (i.e. the part of the fingertip) is affected by a broken finger, a bruise can often form as a result, which can be seen under the affected fingernail.

causes

Common causes that lead to a broken finger are external mechanical forces. A finger fracture can also occur as a result of dislocations that occur in the finger joints. A broken finger, for example, often occurs in the form of a sports injury. In ball sports, among other things, there is a risk of breaking a finger due to the ball hitting it.

A finger can also be broken in the event of a collision with an opposing player. In addition, falls that are caught by hand can lead to a broken finger. This is especially the case when a finger is spread sideways or backwards when falling.

There is therefore a high risk of breaking a finger, among other things, in sports in which falls from a relatively high speed have to be absorbed; such as downhill skiing, cycling or equestrian sports.

Symptoms, ailments & signs

The broken finger is usually triggered by an event and does not occur suddenly and unexpectedly. Therefore, the patient is usually very well able to describe the incident. However, it is more difficult to reliably diagnose a broken finger yourself.

After an event such as a blow or fall on the hand, the impact of a hard object or a hard object, a broken finger may exist. Since a lot of fine nerves run through the hand, fingers and especially fingertips are very sensitive to pain and react immediately. However, the pain of a bruise is just as severe as the pain of a fracture, so it is ruled out as a reliable indicator.

In order to clearly diagnose the broken finger, one has to wait until the first pain subsides. Then the mobility of the finger can be checked. If the hand can be moved normally, there is probably no break. If the fingers are moved in the joints, severe pain usually arises from the touch of a fracture.

Fractures between the joints can be recognized by the fact that the bone can be moved back and forth at the fracture site. This is very painful for the patient. In contrast, an open fracture is easy to diagnose; the broken bone pierces the skin and the injury is clearly visible and recognizable.

Diagnosis & course

The suspected diagnosis of a broken finger can initially be made on the basis of the typical symptoms that occur when a finger is broken. In the next step, the treating doctor usually asks about the situation that led to a broken finger. The suspected diagnosis of a broken finger can finally be confirmed with the help of x-rays, for example.

Based on two x-rays of the affected finger from different perspectives, the course of a broken finger can be shown. If there is suspicion that neighboring structures (such as tendons) are also injured in the event of a broken finger, this can be checked using magnetic resonance imaging; Tissue structures can be represented by a corresponding recording.

The course of a broken finger depends primarily on the severity of the injury. If the finger is uncomplicated, the prognosis is usually good. If a broken finger is complicated, the healing process can be comparatively delayed. After adequate therapy, however, an injured finger can usually be used again after about three months.

Complications

In most cases, there are no further complications if a finger is broken. The patient feels very severe pain on the affected finger and can no longer move it. The everyday life of the person affected is severely restricted and usually associated with pain.

Shortly after breaking a finger, most people experience dizziness and may become unconscious. If the person concerned is unsure whether it was really a hernia, a doctor must still be consulted. Complications arise with complicated fractures that do not simply heal again.

An ordinary fracture is covered with a plaster cast so that the finger is not moved and can heal quickly. There were no further complaints. The healing process often takes longer for severe fractures. However, a complete cure is also in prospect here.

The finger can be used normally again after the broken finger, once the bone has healed. There are no restrictions or pain. In most cases, it takes about a month for the broken finger to heal. During this time the patient is limited.

When should you go to the doctor?

A broken finger is always a reason to see a doctor, even if it is not very painful. For example, it is urgently necessary to determine the type of break in order to splint the finger accordingly. In most cases, a broken finger can be straightened and splinted with quick treatment so that it heals well within a few weeks.

Since in most cases it is a simple fracture (the bone breaks and the ends shift against each other), this is also associated with pain, bruises and the possibility of movement. Just straightening the bone can, however, prevent other structures in the finger from being affected. If this is neglected due to a lack of medical treatment, there is a risk that the finger will grow together crookedly, which in the worst case will result in permanent loss of function.

There are also more complex fractures that can require surgery. Such a break can exist precisely when the supposed break was preceded by a crush trauma (slammed car door or similar).

Radiology provides the first clues as to the type of break and the appropriate treatment. A broken finger should be assessed accordingly in the emergency room of a hospital. If the person concerned is unsure whether it is a break, an X-ray should still be carried out as a precaution.

Doctors & therapists in your area

Treatment & Therapy

Appropriate treatment for a broken finger depends on the type of break. Fundamentally sensible first aid measures after a broken finger are resting and cooling the affected finger in order to reduce the risk of swelling and bruising (hematomas).

If there is a broken finger in which the bone ends are only slightly displaced from one another, a broken finger can often be treated conservatively (without the use of surgical measures).Such conservative therapy for a broken finger is usually carried out by straightening the break and then applying a plaster cast, which immobilizes the injured finger.

If surgical intervention is necessary after a broken finger, this is often done by stabilizing the broken ends with so-called mini-implants. After such an intervention in the case of a broken finger, long-term plaster treatment is often no longer necessary. Physiotherapy exercises can help restore finger mobility after a broken finger.

Outlook & forecast

The prognosis for a broken finger is very good as long as it is a simple break. If the finger is splinted and the person concerned takes care of decongestant measures and the correct positioning of the hand, healing can be expected within a few weeks.

A hand therapy can usually completely restore the functionality (insofar as it is severely restricted after the break). Sometimes flexion losses of around ten degrees are the long-term consequence, which in practice means hardly any restrictions. Occasionally, stress pain or swelling can occur even after the fracture. But these are mostly harmless in nature and disappear again.

The adjacent joints and the entire hand should be used and loaded normally again just after the fracture in order to maintain functionality. Otherwise it may stiffen. The earlier exercise therapy is started on the fingers, the better functionality can be restored. It is therefore important that the stiffening of the finger by splints is as short as possible.

More complicated fractures can slow the healing process, and less often the functionality of a finger cannot be preserved. In any case, it is crucial that the treatment is carried out as soon as possible after the break in order to avoid further damage to the finger.

prevention

Since a broken finger usually happens unexpectedly, it is difficult to prevent a broken finger. Falls on smooth or uneven ground, which can lead to a broken finger, can be prevented by wearing safe shoes. When engaging in risky sports, wearing protective clothing (as far as possible) can prevent a finger from breaking. Swelling and bruising after a broken finger can be prevented by cooling and resting.

Aftercare

A finger fracture is a clinical picture that must be treated medically, with medication and possibly also surgically. Follow-up care is essential to enable a full recovery. A broken finger is usually splinted so that the broken bone can grow together in peace.

This healing process can be associated with various complications, so that regular follow-up examinations should be observed urgently. This way, possible misalignments can be recognized at an early stage and treated accordingly. If the person concerned does not have follow-up examinations, the broken finger may grow together incorrectly or not at all.

The result: misalignments that can no longer be properly restored and treated in retrospect. If pain or unusual discoloration occurs in the affected area in the later healing process, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible. In this way, possible complications can be identified and eliminated accordingly.

For this reason, appropriate aftercare is indispensable and urgently necessary. Of course, a fracture can occur in different degrees of severity, so that the follow-up care can be designed differently accordingly. However, regular visits to the doctor should not be avoided if a full and rapid recovery is to occur.

You can do that yourself

If the fingers break, they should not be loaded with weights or by holding onto objects if possible. Carrying, lifting or grasping with the finger should also be avoided completely. So that the bones can grow back together well, they must be spared.

As a result, they are completely immobilized for several weeks. It is helpful to protect the hand or wrist as well. The less movement the injured area is exposed to, the better the chances of recovery.

Sports activities or paperwork should not be carried out. Once the broken finger has been treated by a doctor, some limited activities are usually possible. Great care must be taken with these so that there are no delays in the healing process. In most cases, a plaster cast is put on when a finger breaks. This treatment measure ensures that the affected finger is not exposed to any unwanted freedom of movement.

If the hand is swollen, it can be cooled with cold water. To ensure that the hand is adequately supplied with blood and important nutrients via the vessels, it should be held as horizontally as possible. In a vertical position there is a risk of undersupply of the fingers. Feelings of numbness can set in and sensory disorders occur more frequently in these cases.