A broken toe is a common occurrence. The phalanges of the limbs are vulnerable to many external influences, and are also subject to constant pressure from the weight of a person. From the materials in this article you will learn what symptoms accompany this pathology and how long it takes to treat it.
Toes are an integral part of the locomotor system in the human body. Together with the foot, they support the weight of the body, make it possible to move, while helping to maintain balance.
Each toe consists of several small bones, otherwise called phalanges. They are connected to each other by movable joints, which makes it possible to bend and straighten the fingers.
Limbs are a vulnerable part of the human body, which is most often subject to fractures. In most cases, the thumb is affected. It differs from the others in that it has only two phalanges instead of the required three. When walking, the big toe experiences the main load. The likelihood of getting a fracture increases several times. When injured, blueness and swelling usually spread to the entire foot.
When a finger is fractured, the integrity of the bone tissue is disrupted. It can be complete or partial, as well as pathological and traumatic. Pathological ones occur against the background of bone destruction by any disease. These include the following: tumor, tuberculosis, osteoporosis, osteomyelitis. All these ailments reduce the strength of the bone and make it fragile. The most common fractures are those caused by trauma.
A big toe fracture has some special features. The pathology is accompanied by a characteristic clinical picture. At the same time, this finger is the largest, so it bears the maximum load when moving. Next, we will look at the main symptoms of this pathology and methods of its treatment.
Manifestations of a big toe fracture can be relative and absolute. In the first case, one can only assume the presence of injury. With absolute symptoms there is no doubt.
Relative signs of injury include:
The intensity of the manifestation of relative symptoms directly depends on the location of the fracture. The clinical picture is especially pronounced when the main phalanx, which communicates directly with the bones of the foot, is injured.
The leg quickly swells and becomes bluish. The painful discomfort that accompanies this pathology usually does not allow the victim to fully lean on the limb. Often an open fracture of the big toe is complicated due to damage to the skin and infection. In this case, the person exhibits obvious signs of intoxication of the body.
With a severe bruise, the clinical picture may be the same as for a fracture. One pathology can be distinguished from another by absolute characteristics:
These signs indicate a fracture of the big toe. Symptoms of injury should alert you and be a reason to go to the hospital.
To determine the most effective treatment regimen, it is important to determine the type of injury. If the skin is damaged, when the wound and the bone itself are visible, we are talking about an open fracture. In this case, the risk of infection of the affected area increases, so medical attention is required immediately. After applying an aseptic bandage, the victim must be immediately taken to a traumatologist.
A closed fracture of the big toe is characterized by the absence of visible damage. There are no particular difficulties during treatment.
Displacement usually occurs when a force is applied to the bone that causes the injury. Patients often experience pinched nerves, blood vessels or muscles. To restore the full anatomical shape of the finger, it is necessary to compare the fragments. When the bone is crushed and fragments penetrate into the wound, the fracture is called comminuted.
If a toe is injured, assistance should be provided to the victim in the first minutes, even before the doctors arrive. Further bone fusion directly depends on this. The patient must be provided with complete rest, try not to disturb the damaged area and avoid stress. Ice or a cold compress should be applied to the fracture site. To ease pain and reduce swelling, you can slightly elevate your leg.
An open fracture of the big toe requires only disinfection of the wound and application of a bandage. You can also give the victim a painkiller (Ibufen, Aspirin, Ketanov). These drugs are in every home medicine cabinet.
Often injuries and mechanical damage to the extremities are asymptomatic, for example, when they talk about a fracture without displacement. In such cases, a person usually ignores the pain and does not pay enough attention to it due to the fact that he is unaware of the damage.
Sometimes victims are simply too lazy to seek qualified help and undergo appropriate examination. The consequences of such neglect of one's own health can be serious complications (bone deformation, osteomyelitis, malunion).
In addition to the trauma symptoms mentioned in this article, great importance in diagnosis is given to radiography of the foot in two projections. Using this study, you can recognize a fracture of the big toe with 99% accuracy. Radiography allows you to determine the exact location of the damage, which ultimately affects the quality of therapy.
More complex methods of visualizing trauma (computed tomography) are practically not used, since they are not necessary, and the cost of such studies is quite high.
The doctor chooses a specific treatment option based on the nature of the injury. With an open fracture, there is a risk of wound infection. The pathology is often accompanied by suppuration and tetanus. Such patients are given antibiotic injections and anti-tetanus serum.
The closed version of the injury requires repositioning of the bone, that is, returning the fragments to their anatomical place. A fracture with a displaced big toe requires the placement of the fragment in place and its correct fixation. Otherwise, fusion may not occur correctly.
An intra-articular fracture requires surgery. During the operation, the doctor performs an open reposition of the fragments and performs intra-articular fixation using special wires. Mobility of the affected joint is restored approximately by the eighth week. Throughout the entire period of treatment, it is recommended to support the body with vitamin therapy.
Even in ancient times, people believed that a diseased organ needed complete rest to recover. Bone is no exception. Its main function is to create support for the muscles. In case of fractures, complete immobilization of the bone can be considered a kind of equivalent to rest. Immobilization allows you to speed up and direct the process of regeneration of the damaged area in the right direction.
The patient is given bandages, which are pre-moistened in a plaster solution. When applied to a limb, they take its shape and remain until complete recovery. A plaster cast is usually applied not only to the injured toe, but also to the foot and part of the lower leg. High immobilization is not entirely justified, as it seriously limits the mobility of the leg. On the other hand, in order to provide rest to the toe, it is necessary to immobilize the entire foot, and this is only possible with the help of a plaster cast “boot”.
Sometimes immobilization is not required for patients diagnosed with a big toe fracture. No plaster is used for bone cracks that heal on their own. Also included in the category of exceptions are the first few days after surgical manipulations on a limb with a fractured finger, when the injury is a secondary pathology. In this case, there is a need for regular monitoring of the wound healing process. When signs of successful recovery begin to appear, a cast is immediately applied to the leg.
For six weeks after the injury, it is necessary to protect the injured finger from stress and try not to overexert it. Long walks and sports are contraindicated.
The rehabilitation period includes physiotherapy, special gymnastics and therapeutic massage. It is recommended to diversify your diet with foods rich in protein and calcium.
Some patients complain of discomfort when wearing a cast for a long time. This condition just needs to be endured for the bones to heal properly. If you have broken your big toe, you should not get the cast wet or try to remove it yourself.
To avoid broken toes, doctors advise wearing comfortable shoes with stable soles. You should also exclude from your diet foods that “wash out” calcium from the body. These include sweet carbonated water, coffee and alcoholic drinks. Nutrition should be as balanced as possible. It is recommended to pay special attention to foods containing calcium (beans, cabbage, carrots, rye bread). In case of bone tissue pathologies, it is recommended to undergo regular examination. Such simple preventive measures can prevent fractures, significantly improve the quality of life and remain healthy.
A bone fracture is a fairly serious injury that takes a long time to heal.
There are more than two hundred bones in the human body, any of which in a certain situation may not withstand the load and become damaged.
Most often, limbs are at risk of fractures - as the most vulnerable part of the body.
And, in particular, the most common type of fracture is a toe fracture.
The toes are a very important component of the human locomotor system, since they, together with the foot, support the weight of the body and allow it to move, while helping to maintain balance.
Each finger and toe consists of several bones called phalanges. They are connected to each other by movable interphalangeal joints, which allows you to bend and extend your fingers.
In everyday life, it sometimes happens that fractures of a toe occur - from a fall, a severe bruise on hard objects, or unsuccessful jumps from a height. The cause may also be a twisted foot , a heavy object falling on the foot, or similar situations where the foot is impacted.
A fracture is characterized by damage to the integrity of the bone, and sometimes the skin around it.
Fractures of the toe can be divided into the following types:
If you are interested in how rehabilitation occurs after a fracture of the radius, you should read our article.
An ankle fracture has very specific symptoms that are worth knowing. You can read more about this here.
The second characteristic of a fracture is its type and condition:
Based on location, the fracture can be classified as:
The difference between the thumb and the rest is that it has two phalanges instead of three. When walking, this toe bears the brunt of supporting a person's weight, and is often more likely to fracture because it protrudes more forward.
Moreover, blueness and swelling can spread from the big toe to the entire foot and adjacent toes, as a result of which it becomes painful to step on the foot or move it.
Treatment for a fractured big toe will require a cast from the upper third of the shin to the toe, which should be worn for approximately 5 to 6 weeks.
Symptoms of a broken toe are divided into absolute and relative.
Relative signs of injury only allow a preliminary conclusion about injury to be made. These include:
On the big toe, the hematoma and swelling are more pronounced, while the leg swells and hurts when moving the toes. Fractures of the II, III, IV and V fingers may be less noticeable because they bear a small load. The victim does not even immediately notice the injury and usually goes to the doctor only the next day, when the pain intensifies.
Absolute signs clearly indicate the presence of a fracture. Among them are the following:
If your toe is broken, you should consult a traumatologist. Based on a short survey, identifying relative and absolute signs of a fracture, as well as x-rays, he will be able to make the correct diagnosis.
Even if your finger doesn’t hurt very much at first, it’s still better to go to the hospital after getting injured without delaying.
What to do in case of this injury?
In principle, anyone can provide first aid. First, you need to immobilize the foot, that is, immobilize it. After taking off your shoes, you need to bandage the injured limb with a sterile bandage, if there is a wound there. This is done in order not to introduce an infection there.
Then you need to find any solid object that would act as a splint and bandage it to the foot. You just need to remember that when applying a bandage to a wound, your hands must be clean.
As a result of such actions, the wound will not be re-damaged by bone fragments, and the pain should decrease.
When treating a toe fracture, its location must be taken into account:
For multiple fractures , a plaster “shoe” is applied, which must be worn for approximately 2–3 weeks.
If a finger is damaged a displacement occurs , axial traction is applied to the sore finger, or a Cherkes-Zade splint .
If the displacement was large, then manual reposition of the bone until their original position is restored, after which, after about 1-2 weeks, a plaster cast in the form of a “shoe” is applied. It must be worn until the wound is completely healed. In this case, working capacity is restored in approximately three to four weeks.
If you have chosen a home treatment option, then first of all you need to do the following:
In case of an open fracture , the bone is restored from fragments, the foot is immobilized, an anti-rabies vaccine is administered, and antibacterial therapy is prescribed to avoid the development of a secondary infection.
Better yet, without delay, seek treatment at a hospital where you:
For about six weeks after the fracture, it is necessary to take care of the injured finger and not overexert it. This implies that long walks, and especially sports, are contraindicated. When walking, look carefully at your feet so as not to touch your sore toe.
The rehabilitation process includes physical procedures, therapeutic massage and special gymnastics, as well as following the doctor’s recommendations. You need to include foods rich in protein and calcium in your diet.
To avoid finger fractures, you need to:
From all of the above, we can conclude that you should not neglect your health, because treatment later will be quite unpleasant and long.
A bone fracture is a painful situation. A person has a lot of bones (206 pieces), there is something to break, and each injury will have to be tinkered with until a complete recovery. Having broken a bone or several, a person automatically loses his ability to work. First of all, he gets to the traumatology department, takes a picture, finds out what is broken, how many damages, whether a plaster is needed, how to treat it. A fracture of the toe or phalanx of the lower limb often occurs.
The cause of a fracture is:
The structure of the phalanx of the toes varies. The toes, except the big toe, consist of four bones: the nail or distal, proximal, middle phalanges and metatarsal bones. The thumb has a fifth bone to those previously listed - the sesamoid bone. This is a very “harmful” bone in the fingers; breaking it with displacement or damaging it will cause severe pain when walking, even after long-term treatment and rehabilitation.
Only a traumatologist has the right to indicate the presence of a fracture and identify signs of a bruise. If you suspect a fracture, hoping for a bruise, you should go to the nearest traumatology department and have an X-ray examination. The doctor, after examining the pictures, will make an accurate diagnosis, then prescribe effective treatment, and possibly apply a plaster cast.
Identified symptoms of a fracture: severe swelling of the finger is possible; in some cases, the skin on the finger takes on a bright purple color. When walking, there will be a sharp pain radiating to the heel. In the absence of obvious signs of damage to the toe, a false sensation of difficulty with the sole of the heel may appear.
With a closed incomplete fracture, a crack occurs in the bone, the symptoms of the fracture do not always appear, the finger simply ache when walking. In case of a comminuted fracture, pressing on the finger, you can hear the crunching of the bones; such a fracture requires immediate hospitalization; collecting the small bones of miniature toes can only be done by a trauma surgeon - a jeweler.
An open fracture leaves the owner of the finger no doubt about the seriousness of the injury. A closed fracture with displacement can be identified by large swelling of the finger and a bright burgundy color: when displaced, the broken bone damaged part of the soft tissues and blood vessels, possibly the joint.
You will need to identify the symptoms of a fracture yourself. Then, using available means, secure the finger, and, if possible, apply a splint. If there are no suitable items at hand, you can bandage your fingers by placing small rollers or bundles between them, then fasten the bandage not too tightly so as not to block the blood circulation of the fingers. Applying cold to the injured finger will reduce swelling of the finger and joint.
In case of an open fracture, with clean hands, in order to avoid infection, you will need to apply a sterile bandage to the injured finger and immediately go to a medical facility. It is recommended to elevate the leg to ensure blood flow.
It is recommended to drink any painkiller that helps relieve signs of pain. Elevating the limb so that the heel is higher than the hip will help to avoid severe swelling of the limb. If severe swelling occurs, it is recommended to contact a medical facility. A broken bone sometimes touches large blood vessels. It is unwise to treat fractures on your own.
Treatment for a fractured phalanx primarily depends on the type of fracture. When examining the injury and studying x-rays, a traumatologist will accurately determine the severity of the broken limb.
In the case of an open fracture, the bone is fixed and a plaster is applied. A marginal foot fracture is treated similarly. In case of a comminuted fracture, the surgeon inserts special wires to secure the bone fragments, collects the phalanx of the finger and immobilizes it until the bone is completely fused. A tetanus vaccination is required, a course of antibiotics is administered, or antibacterial therapy is prescribed.
Treatment of a hematoma formed around a fracture on the affected finger is performed surgically: the doctor cuts out the formed blood clot. In rare cases, it is possible to remove the nail plate.
When treating a fracture of the thumb, a plaster cast is applied to the organ, ensuring complete immobility of the finger. The time of wearing a cast depends on the severity and complexity of the fracture; healing and wearing a plaster cast can take 2 - 6 weeks, recovery and return to work - 4 - 10 weeks.
In all methods of treating a fracture of the middle or main phalanx of a toe, a plantar plaster splint or a special plaster is applied to the foot to reduce pressure on the damaged toe while walking.
For fractures of the second, middle, ring and little fingers, a plaster cast is not required. It is enough to secure the named fingers with a tight bandage. During the healing period, it is better to wear comfortable orthopedic shoes.
Improper, unprofessional treatment of a broken toe or incorrectly applied plaster will lead to serious consequences. Improperly fused bones cause an unpleasant, aching sensation while walking. During long walks, a sharp, acute pain appears. If the bones of the thumb are not fused correctly, a person’s gait changes noticeably. Later, difficulties will appear with the musculoskeletal system, especially with the spine. Even proper rehabilitation will not always help eliminate incorrect treatment.
Signs that appear after improper treatment, incorrect bone fusion or lack of medical care are pathological in nature:
An important point in rehabilitation after a healed fracture is to avoid bruises. While walking, look carefully at your feet; be sure to use high-quality shoes with low heels, no more than 2 cm; orthopedic shoes would be a great option. Avoid long walks. For two months from the moment the cast is removed, any physical activity is contraindicated.
The best way to rehabilitate and speed up muscle recovery is physical therapy. After removing the plaster, after a fracture of the big toe or little toe, it is advisable to undergo physiotherapy:
Proper balanced nutrition, additional intake of calcium and a variety of protein foods will speed up the healing process and have a general strengthening effect on the body. After undergoing treatment procedures, you will need to take a second photo.
The surest and most effective measure to prevent fractures or bruises of the toes is attentiveness and accuracy. When working or moving heavy or inconvenient objects, you must be careful, prudently clear the path for moving objects, and secure the load as tightly as possible to avoid falling on your feet.
Wearing comfortable shoes and paying attention on the road reduces the number of possible stumbles and foot dislocations when walking. Eating calcium-rich foods increases bone strength. Exclusion from the diet of foods that leach calcium from the body. These are the basic simple rules that reduce the risk of fractures.
Fractures of the big toe differ from each other and are classified according to various criteria. The fracture can be open or closed (when there is no external damage), without displacement or with displacement, complete or partial, combined (when several phalanges are damaged at the same time) or localized on the phalanx - main, middle, nail.
There are also simultaneous fractures of several phalanges at once, which is fully explained by the structure of the fingers.
With an open fracture, tissue or skin is damaged, and the bone comes into contact with the environment. They are exclusively traumatic.
Displaced fractures usually involve pinching a nerve, vessel, or muscle.
If traumatic fractures are a consequence of a blow, then pathological ones arise due to diseases that cause a decrease in the strength of tissues in the bones. For example, osteoporosis or cancer.
Symptoms of toe fractures depend on the location. They are divided into relative (the fracture is only assumed) and absolute (the fracture is immediately visible).
Signs of relative symptoms:
Thumbs differ from others in their size and in that they only have two phalanges, so the pain symptoms of broken thumbs are more severe. And what most often happens to them is intra-articular fractures, which are characterized by sharp and severe pain. Because of such pain, a person cannot step on his foot, the swelling spreads to the other toes, and the foot takes on a blue tint. What to do?
First of all, you need to carefully disinfect the injury site.
To determine the truth of the suspicion of a fracture, you must first perform anesthesia, then disinfect the wound, if any. Ultimately, the injured finger needs to be examined to see if it is truly broken and secured to prevent any movement. But the symptoms of a broken finger are very similar to the symptoms of a severe bruise, and it is not always possible for an ordinary person to distinguish between them and decide what to do next. Only an experienced doctor can correctly determine the diagnosis and, if necessary, apply a cast.
An x-ray of the foot will help determine the nature of the injury.
You need to contact a traumatologist. He will take a couple of x-rays, understand the nature of the injury and its possible cause, determine the correct diagnosis, remove the displacement (if any), and may apply a cast. If the nail phalanx is broken, then they resort to perforation of the nail to remove the accumulated blood.
You should seek help from a doctor as soon as you suspect a fracture. The swelling spreads very quickly. This can prevent the cast from being applied, which usually causes the bones to not heal properly.
A plaster cast on a broken thumb is always applied from the fingers to the upper third of the shin. How long to wear a cast? About five to six weeks after you are injured.
You should not overexert a broken finger; it needs as much rest as possible. Walking, let alone sports, is strictly prohibited. Try not to touch your finger with anything. In addition to applying a cast, the doctor may prescribe vitamins and medications containing calcium.
Each time doctors select an individual treatment system. For example, with an open fracture, antibiotics are sometimes also required. They exclude the sudden occurrence of a secondary infection.
In case of intra-articular injury, surgical intervention by a surgeon is possible, during which the bone is returned to its place and secured with knitting needles, or a compression-distraction device has to be applied (which happens very rarely). How long it will take to recover after surgery depends on the individual. But it usually takes seven to eight weeks for complete recovery.
Every person in his life repeatedly encounters such an injury as a bruised leg. When a bruise occurs, soft tissue is damaged without breaking the skin. So how can you distinguish a bruise from a fracture? Their symptoms are very similar to each other: tumors, edema, hematomas, limited mobility, difficulty bending, severe pain. An ordinary person is unlikely to be able to distinguish a bruise from a fracture, so a consultation with a surgeon is necessary, who will take an X-ray and report the truly correct decision. A broken toe is usually characterized by the inability to move.
With mild tissue damage, a bruise appears almost immediately. With severe bruises, symptoms appear only on the second or third day. But the absence of hematomas is not a reason to leave a finger without assistance and treatment.
You need to pay attention to the nail. If it breaks off, it should be secured with adhesive tape. After some time, the plate will grow together. If not, then it must be cut off as carefully as possible.
In the first days, you should observe bed rest. It is forbidden to move around and wear shoes. Constant impact on the injured area will delay the healing process.
Toe fractures are quite common. This fact can be explained by the large load that is placed on the lower limbs. At its core, a fracture is the loss of the previous integrity of the bone. It causes a lot of trouble for a person and can cause serious complications. Therefore, seeing a doctor in case of a fracture is necessary.
Usually the cause of a toe fracture is severe mechanical damage. For example, during an unsuccessful jump, a strong fall or blow, a bone injury may occur.
In addition, there are internal reasons that can lead to a fracture of the phalanx. These include various serious illnesses, for example, bone tuberculosis, osteoporosis or metastases caused by cancer.
Various signs of a broken toe determine its type. The classification can be found in the table.
Fractures are also classified based on which phalanx was damaged. For example, problems most often occur with the little finger, fourth and thumb. This is explained by the peculiarities of their physiological structure. Fracture of the middle and second finger occurs much less frequently.
A toe fracture is characterized by recognizable symptoms. Recognizing such damage is not difficult, but additional research is necessary to make an accurate diagnosis. The main symptoms of a broken toe are:
How severe the symptoms will be depends on which finger is injured. For example, with a fracture of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th nail phalanx, the pain is not very pronounced. A person may not even immediately notice a problem occurring. Moreover, if there is a fracture of the thumb, pronounced symptoms are observed. This feature is explained by the fact that it is directly connected to the foot. Therefore, unlike the middle and ring fingers, it is much more difficult to treat.
If first aid is provided promptly after an injury, complications can be prevented. Moreover, treatment in this case is much more effective. If a toe is broken, the following measures should be taken:
You should not apply any compresses, try to move the broken finger or set it. This should be done by specialists. You can apply ice to reduce the swelling a little and relieve the pain at least temporarily.
After contacting a medical institution, doctors will conduct a thorough examination to make a clear diagnosis. Based on the results of examination and palpation of the toes, it is usually recommended to take an x-ray. It will help to accurately determine the location and type of fracture. In severe cases, an MRI or CT scan may be needed. They are very informative before surgery.
What to do when a toe is broken depends on its type and location. The effectiveness of treatment will largely depend on the speed of contacting a doctor.
In case of an open and marginal fracture, the crushed bone must be fixed with plaster. If there are a large number of fragments, it may be necessary to implant a special wire that will hold them in place until complete healing. Also, for open fractures, doctors recommend taking care to prevent tetanus infection and getting vaccinated. In addition, anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics are required. The cast must be worn for 4 to 7 weeks.
Sometimes it happens that along with a fracture of the fingers, numerous cracks are observed. They do not require special treatment measures. Therapy usually proceeds as usual. But after recovery, you need to make sure that all the cracks heal, otherwise there is a high risk of developing osteoporosis.
If 2,3 or 4 phalanges are affected, a plaster boot or even a splint will be sufficient. They are worn until the bone is completely healed and fused. In general, this process lasts 4-5 weeks. This is followed by long-term rehabilitation.
During treatment, you must avoid drinking alcoholic beverages and coffee. You should also stop smoking. This condition is explained by the fact that nicotine and caffeine slow down tissue regeneration processes. At the same time, sometimes doctors will prescribe vitamin complexes. They replenish the body's need for nutrients and a broken finger heals faster.
Both after a fracture of the big toe and all the others, rehabilitation is required. First of all, it involves observing precautions and maintaining a state of rest for the limb.
After removing the cast, doctors recommend undergoing a massage course. It can be done even at home. There should be no pain during the procedure. The massage is performed smoothly and softly. It helps restore blood circulation and tone muscles after a long immobilized state. You can master the skills of self-massage and refuse the services of a paid specialist.
Also, at the rehabilitation stage, various methods of physiotherapy are very effective. They help speed up the process of tissue regeneration and restore limb mobility after wearing a cast.
Physical therapy is the most effective method of recovery. You need to perform 3-4 simple exercises a day and rehabilitation will go unnoticed.
Also, many at this stage resort to traditional medicine. It shows good results in accelerating the healing of bone tissue. Among the many methods, warming compresses and various relaxing foot baths should be noted. But before you start using folk remedies, you need to consult your doctor.
In general, a broken toe is a fairly serious injury. If it is not treated promptly, complications from the musculoskeletal system may occur.
Constant human movement and significant load on the bone skeleton provoke various injuries in this area. One such injury is a broken big toe. You can break it in the most unpredictable situation - either by dropping something on your foot, or by tripping down a step and landing unsuccessfully on your foot. You can simply twist your foot, and as a result, your big toe is broken. Even with a minor blow to the limb, the bones of the finger can suffer and become cracked. And this is not surprising, because the big toe is slightly pushed forward, it is larger than all the others and it is on it that the main load falls, which is why damage most often occurs on this toe.
The big toe is also special in that it has three phalanges, and not two, like the others. This provides him with greater mobility and makes it possible to withstand the load during movement, in a resting position. It contains in its thickness relatively large blood vessels, nerves and ligamentous apparatus. Usually, when a phalanx is fractured, all these elements suffer damage, a hematoma occurs on the finger, and the foot swells.
Traditionally, the main cause of any fracture, including the big toe, is the impact on the bone of a force greater than the bone tissue can withstand. The human skeleton is vulnerable in young children, when it is not yet strong enough, and in older people, when natural age-related changes, calcium loss, and osteoporosis already occur. At this time, a person needs to be especially careful not to damage a limb or break a phalanx. In addition to the age factor, there are several other reasons that lead to disruption of the integrity of the bone of the big toe. Among them:
Damage to healthy bone tissue is common, but pathological fractures occur no less frequently when an injury occurs as a result of the development of tuberculosis, osteoporosis, or neoplasm in the bone.
Fractures of the thumb are divided depending on the nature of the injury, the type of communication of bone fragments, the severity of the injury and many other characteristics. Here are examples of some classifications:
Features of the symptoms of a fracture of the big toe are that the picture of the disease can be aggravated by damage to the interphalangeal and metatarsal-phalangeal joints. In this case, the symptoms of the disease have their own differences, treatment and rehabilitation after these injuries are more difficult than with a regular fracture. Doctors consider displaced open fractures to be no less serious.
Recognizing the symptoms of a broken big toe can be difficult because minor fractures are often confused with bruises. The victim does not know how to identify a fracture and what to do if the thumb is broken. In this case, the swelling may not be pronounced, the pain is moderate, there is no external damage, the person can even walk. All this creates a picture of relative well-being, and the victim does not go to the doctor, treating the leg with compresses and other methods that are useless in this case. When visiting the clinic, such patients are given an x-ray, which clarifies the situation in the leg - whether there is a crack there or whether there are symptoms of a fracture.
Signs of a thumb fracture are absolute and relative. With relative signs (pain, swelling, hematoma), there is no need to categorically say about a fracture, but absolute signs (bone coming out, unnatural position of the toe, impaired sensitivity, crunching when trying to move) allow us to accurately establish that the big toe is damaged.
After trouble has occurred with the big toe, the victim must be shown to a traumatologist. Before the patient is examined by a doctor, the leg should be elevated and placed under rolled clothing, a blanket or a pillow. This will minimize swelling of the limb. To relieve symptoms of pain, you can place an ice pack on the area just below the big toe. In case of severe pain, it is allowed to take an analgesic - Tempalgin, Analgin, Pentalgin, or anti-inflammatory drugs - Nimesulide, Ibuprofen, Ketorol.
If it is impossible to call ambulance doctors, the patient is taken to the clinic independently. If the fracture of the big toe is open, then the wound in the area of injury is lubricated with hydrogen peroxide or iodine, and a dry bandage of sterile material is applied. The leg is immobilized using available means. A tire can even be made from cardboard folded in several layers, from pencils and other hard objects. A splint is placed on both sides of the leg and bandaged to the foot, fixing the fracture area especially well.
It is possible to diagnose a certain type of thumb fracture, even with erased signs, in a medical institution. In this case, the doctor will take two x-rays in frontal and lateral projections in order to examine the injury as best as possible and determine whether there is bone displacement. If necessary, a computed tomography scan is performed to identify intra-articular injuries and soft tissue injuries.
In case of a displaced fracture, restoration of the correct relationship of the bones in the big toe is carried out by reduction, if the fracture is of a closed type. This procedure is performed under local anesthesia. After the reposition is carried out, the doctor checks the relative position of the bones and the ability of the joint to move freely. This means that the bones have found their correct place. Then immobilization is done for a certain period of time - plaster casting of the “boot” type, when part of the foot up to the lower third of the lower leg is in the plaster.
Non-displaced fractures and cracks in the bone of the thumb can be treated with a splint, but only a doctor can decide whether a cast is needed in each case.
If the fracture is of an open type, there is significant displacement of the bones and fragments have formed, surgery may be required to stretch the bone by applying plates, pins, screws, etc. During treatment, the patient is prescribed antibiotics to avoid the spread of the inflammatory process. If, after a blow to the thumb, there is a fracture of the nail phalanx and an impressive hematoma has formed, and the nail is damaged, then during surgery the doctor removes the nail plate. After the operation, the patient’s leg is bandaged, protecting it from the influence of the external environment, and the affected limb is also cast.
The healing process largely depends on the type and severity of the injury received, so it is difficult to say how long the treatment will take and how long the thumb will stretch. If the victim quickly contacts the clinic, then the likelihood of a successful outcome is much higher. With proper treatment, a fracture without bone displacement heals in 3 weeks, but in older people the recovery process can take up to 2 months. After a fracture, patients are additionally prescribed calcium tablets, as well as drugs that restore cartilage tissue. This will help with the healing of the joint.
After the plaster is removed, rehabilitation is carried out. The complex of necessary measures includes massage, physiotherapy, physical therapy. All these procedures should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor, since the patient performs most of the exercises at home. Carrying out high-quality rehabilitation procedures significantly speeds up the time of full recovery.