It is the breakage of one or more of the bones that make up the finger.
The main cause is direct trauma with a blunt object. Certain jobs and certain sports favour this type of injury (e.g., basketball).
It manifests with pain, deformity, and inability to carry out tasks with the finger (functional impairment of the finger). When the finger is compared to the same finger on the other hand, swelling and deformity of the fractured finger can be seen.
It is diagnosed by means of a clinical history and a clinical examination of the finger. In most cases an X-ray will be taken to study the type of fracture, and to determine whether the fracture affects the joint.
Immobilising the finger in the correct position will improve the pain considerably. If the pain doesn't subside, regular analgesics can be administered as well.
- Sandeep Sebastin, Kevin C Chung, Shimpei Ono. Overview of finger, hand, and wrist fractures. UpToDate Nov 23, 2015.
- Margi? K. External fixation of closed metacarpal and phalangeal fractures of digits. A prospective study of one hundred consecutive patients. J Hand Surg Br 2006; 31:30.
- Bernstein ML, Chung KC. Hand fractures and their management: an international view. Injury 2006; 37:1043.
- R Laredo Ribero, F Polo Simón, V Delgado Alcalá, D Caldevilla Bernardo. Fracturas, luxaciones y esguinces. Manual de Protocolos y Actuación en Urgencias. 3ª edición (2010). 1047:1057
