Medical Author: Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor
Medically Reviewed on 8/12/2022
Doctor's Notes on Broken Finger
A broken finger is a fracture, or break, in any of the bones of the fingers. A broken finger is usually caused by a traumatic injury to the finger or fingers, such as playing sports, workplace injuries, falls, or accidents. A broken finger may involve a fracture of a single bone or of multiple bones at the same time.
Symptoms associated with a broken finger include:
- pain that may be severe,
- redness, and
- swelling in the area and in the adjacent fingers.
Other associated signs and symptoms may include:
- stiffness or inability to move the finger,
- deformity of the finger, and
- limited range of motion if the finger is still moveable.
With any traumatic injury, there may be other associated injuries like cuts, scrapes, bruises, or bleeding.
What Is the Treatment for a Broken Finger?
Treatment for a broken finger depends on the severity of the injury and the location of the break.
- In all cases, ice is used in the beginning to reduce swelling, and medications are given to control the pain.
- Less serious injuries may be treated by splinting the affected finger or taping it to an adjacent finger. If the bones are not aligned, the bones may need to be re-aligned before splinting. This is commonly done under local anesthesia.
- Serious injuries involving multiple bones may require intervention by a trained hand surgeon using screws, pins, plates, or other devices to hold the bones in place.
Trauma and First Aid : Training and Supplies Quiz
QuestionEmotional trauma is best described as a psychological response to a deeply distressing or life-threatening experience.
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Broken Bone (Bone Fracture)
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Broken Hand
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Finger Dislocation
Finger dislocation occurs when the bones of the finger are moved from their normal position. Symptoms and signs of a dislocated finger include pain, swelling, numbness, tingling, paleness of the injured finger, and/or a break in the skin. Treatment involves administering an anesthetic into the finger and then reducing the dislocation to allow the medical professional to realign the bones of the finger. -
Finger Infection
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Finger Injuries
Finger injuries can vary from minor cuts, lacerations, puncture wounds, broken bones, dislocations, sprains, strains, nerve injuries, jammed fingers, and animal or human bites. A person may experience bleeding, bruising, deformity, swelling, redness, or pus there is infection. Treatment for a finger injury depends on the type and severity of the injury. -
Fractures or Dislocations
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Hand Injuries
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Mallet Finger
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Nail Injuries (Fingernail, Toenail)
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Paronychia (Nail Bed Infection)
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Skier's Thumb
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Splinting
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Subungual Hematoma (Bleeding Under Nail)
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Torn or Detached Nail
Unfortunately, there isn't much that can be done to repair a nail once it has detached or become torn. Damage to any surrounding tissue warrants a visit to a doctor. Any loose portions of the torn or detached nail should be removed. After cleaning the nail bed with soap and water, apply petroleum jelly or an antibiotic ointment and cover the nail bed with a clean bandage. -
Wrist Injury (Wrist Fracture)
The wrist injury can be a sprain, strain, or fractured or broken bone(s). Symptoms of an injury or fracture include pain, deformity, heat, swelling, and inability to move the joint. If you have severe pain, deformity, numbness, or are unable to move your wrist, call your doctor immediately, or go to an urgent care clinic, or hospital emergency department. Treatment of a wrist injury depends upon the type of wrist injury.
REFERENCE:
Kasper, D.L., et al., eds. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 19th Ed. United States: McGraw-Hill Education, 2015.