The little toe is the most fragile toe. It is he who “knows” how uncomfortable shoes his owner or mistress prefers, how close certain objects are in the room. Statistics say that a fracture of the little toe ranks first among injuries. Unfortunately, few people take this problem seriously.
This injury can lead to various disorders and pathologies, and also affect a person’s quality of life. The situation becomes especially complicated if, after a fracture, the patient was treated at home without the help of a doctor. This can lead to complications and also disability.
Anatomy
The structure of the foot is very similar to the hand. It refers to complex joints of small bones that form an arch and serve as a support for normal movement.
The little finger has a very complex structure. He is very fragile. A fracture can occur when a person twists his leg, drops a heavy object, or during active games. Such problems are very common in older people due to the fact that the amount of calcium decreases and osteoporosis develops.
The little finger consists of three phalanges, ligament muscles, capillaries and nerve fibers.
One or two?
Postoperative shoes are sold one shoe at a time. At the same time, it is universal: it is designed in such a way that one copy is suitable for both the right and left legs.
In some cases, the attending physician recommends purchasing a compensatory boot. There will be a postoperative unloading specimen on one leg, and a compensatory one on the other, for ease of movement.
Postoperative shoes will protect against severe pain during rehabilitation, help maintain physical activity from the first days of the recovery period and shorten the healing time of the foot.
Orthopedic salons of the Ortix network offer a wide selection of post-operative shoes and professional consultations from employees - so that you can make the right choice.
Reasons for appearance
A fracture of the little finger is a fairly common occurrence. It is especially common in very active people who play sports. This type of injury can also occur at home. For example, if a person hits his foot on a door frame. The most common causes that can lead to a fracture: osteoporosis, hyperparathyroidism, osteomyelitis.
It is the structural features that lead to a fracture of the little toe much more often than other toes. Bone fragility and small bone size are the main causes.
Likely consequences
How to prevent the consequences of a fracture.
The consequences may be different:
- The bone heals very slowly - the only treatment option is prolonged wearing of a cast. To speed up the process, it is necessary to fill the diet with vitamins.
- Incorrect splicing. In this case, the fracture is repaired and repositioned again.
- No splicing. To identify this pathology, radiography is carried out for 2-3 weeks. If positive dynamics are not observed, surgical intervention is performed.
- Stiffness. To restore normal functioning of the phalanx, constant physical treatment is necessary.
- Pain syndrome - many people know about this complication. Indeed, the fracture site reacts more acutely to any changes in climatic conditions and atmospheric pressure.
Impaired mobility of the little finger after removal of the cast is observed in many patients. This complication is the result of prolonged immobilization of the joint.
The process of restoring the mobility of the limb (subject to successful fusion) will not take much time, however, the patient should pay attention to the doctor’s recommendations regarding the rehabilitation period.
Symptoms of a fracture
A fracture of the little toe may have the following symptoms:
By palpation, bone deformation can be determined;- Very noticeable shortening of the little finger;
- In this zone, the foot begins to deform;
- The finger becomes shorter. This is noticeable even visually;
- If you ask the patient to move his fingers, a crunching sound is heard;
- Severe pain at the site of injury.
- In addition, symptoms appear that are very similar to a bruise:
- Hematoma and swelling of soft tissues appear;
- Redness of the skin;
- Bruising;
- A displaced fracture of the little finger may cause skin damage and bleeding.
Only a specialist can make a diagnosis. He conducts diagnostics and uses x-rays to determine the diagnosis.
Complications are possible with a fracture of the little finger. For example, this may include intense bleeding, numbness of the finger, and the appearance of a gray color.
If a child is injured
A fracture of the little finger in a child’s hand is quite difficult to diagnose. This is due to the fact that the child may have unclosed growth zones. To obtain a more accurate diagnostic picture, it is necessary to take x-rays of the healthy and damaged limb, and then consider the images in comparison.
Attention! In case of a fracture, the child should identify acute complaints that are isolated at the time of palpation of the phalanx.
What to do if a child is injured.
You should not start treatment on your own. The child must be sent to the emergency room. As a rule, injuries of this nature in childhood heal successfully and without consequences in the form of any complications.
Varieties
The little finger consists of three phalanges: nail, middle and proximal. In this regard, doctors distinguish between several types of fracture:
- Absolute;
- Local;
- Partial;
- Open and closed;
- With or without offset.
It is necessary to distinguish between open and closed fractures. When closed, there is no external tissue damage. Based on its symptoms, it is often confused with a bruise. With an open fracture, there is damage to the skin and intense bleeding.
When a heavy object falls on the little finger, the bone is destroyed and a comminuted fracture occurs. In most cases, such fractures occur in elderly people with osteoporosis. But after an injury or bruise, a non-comminuted fracture usually occurs.
Fractures are differentiated by the number of damaged bones. This may be a combined or localized fracture. In the first type, several phalanges are damaged, in the second, one of several phalanges is injured.
Recovery period
Activities for the rehabilitation period are selected by the doctor individually for each patient. As a rule, the rehabilitation course consists of several stages. 7-10 days after the plaster is removed, the patient is prescribed UV treatment and interference currents.
Terms of complete healing in complicated fractures.
Fact! The duration of immobilization for a finger fracture is 2-4 weeks. The doctor will be able to determine more precise timing of fusion after an accurate examination of the X-ray image and assessment of the patient’s general vital signs.
If positive dynamics after removing the plaster cast are observed after 20-30 days, proceed to the second section of the course of rehabilitation procedures:
- UHF;
- electrophoresis with hydrocortisone;
- massage;
- medicinal baths.
It is quite difficult to accurately determine the likely time frame for complete restoration of finger mobility.
How to distinguish a fractured little finger from a bruise?
The problem is that most people cannot differentiate between a broken toe and a bruise. They apply a cold compress, take painkillers and do not go to the hospital. It is necessary to know how to distinguish between these injuries in order to provide proper care.
When a bruise occurs, internal tissue damage occurs. In this case, the skin remains intact. It appears after a strong blow and bruise. A hematoma forms at the site of the injury. This is an accumulation of clotted blood, as well as swelling. The joint is immobilized.
When a fracture occurs, a partial or complete disruption of the integrity of the cartilage or bone occurs. With an open fracture, the skin is damaged and the damaged bone is visible on the surface.
You can distinguish a bruise from a fracture by the following symptoms:
After a bruise, swelling appears immediately, and with a fracture it increases over several days;- With a displaced fracture, the bone becomes much smaller. Even visually you can notice a change in the size of the little finger;
- If with a bruise the pain gradually decreases, then with a fracture it only becomes stronger over time.
The bruise is treated with special ointments that will help eliminate the inflammatory process. They help eliminate swelling, and also provide good pain relief and help the hematoma resolve more quickly. Recovery occurs within one to two weeks, depending on the extent of the damage.
You should seek help if the hematoma does not go away over a long period of time. Surgery may be necessary.
If it is not possible to accurately determine the diagnosis, then first aid or treatment at home should not be performed. It is necessary to contact a traumatologist who will prescribe an x-ray and the necessary rehabilitation therapy.
First aid
In order to decide on first aid measures, it is worth considering the type of fracture. It can be closed or open. If it is possible to determine an open type fracture, then it is necessary to immediately eliminate the bleeding. For this, a tourniquet or any compressive bandage is used. If neither one nor the other is at hand, then you can use a regular belt.
The tourniquet is applied approximately 10-15 centimeters above the wound. At the same time, information is left about what time it was applied, so that after 1.5 hours it is loosened to restore blood flow to the damaged area, otherwise the process of tissue necrosis in the fracture area may begin.
The wound must be disinfected and first aid must be continued using standard measures, which are carried out in exactly the same way for both open and closed types of injuries.
- The foot must be positioned so that the little toe is not in contact with anything, otherwise the patient will experience severe pain. If the little toe was broken while the foot was in shoes, it is necessary to free the foot from the shoes and remove socks, if any.
- Be sure to give the patient a pain reliever. During a fracture of any kind, the pain increases gradually. If it is unbearable, then it is important to quickly take any analgesic that is at hand. If the injury happened on the street, then it can be purchased at any pharmacy.
- The immobilization process is necessary only when a displaced fracture has occurred. In other cases, namely in case of a non-displaced fracture, immobilization is not required. This process should be carried out by rewinding the little finger with the adjacent finger. This procedure is sufficient to completely eliminate the possibility of further displacement of the debris. The patient can then be transported to a medical facility, where he will be provided with further assistance and prescribed treatment.
- First aid for a fracture necessarily involves applying something cold to the sore spot. Ideally, it will be ice. If you don’t have it, you should use any cold object, even food from the refrigerator. This procedure will quickly relieve pain and also reduce inflammation or swelling.
- Ice should not be applied in its pure form so that it comes into contact with the damaged area. It should be applied as a compress. To do this, ice is wrapped in a cloth, such as a towel. You can use a heating pad with ice.
Complications
A fracture of the little toe is a very dangerous injury that can lead to serious consequences:
Formation of a false joint. This leads to a bone canal. The edges are in a constant state of friction. Gradually, the cartilage wears off and a false joint forms in its place. An inflammatory process occurs;- Osteomyelitis. It occurs if, during an open fracture, pathogenic bacteria enter the wound. Primary treatment with antiseptic drugs should be carried out;
- Ankylosis. Due to a long-term inflammatory process, calcium salts are deposited in these places. The joint ossifies. This pathology is chronic and cannot be treated.
After a fracture, it is not recommended to wear shoes that are too tight. The foot should be free. Therapeutic exercises will help restore the functionality of the little finger.
Finger brace
In the hand, the most mobile is the first finger. The thumb performs many functions, so most often it is the one that is injured. This could be sprains, dislocations, bruises, fractures, chronic joint diseases.
At the Yusupov Hospital, doctors who specialize in traumatology and orthopedics welcome the use of a thumb orthosis for the treatment of pathological processes and injuries. The use of orthotic structures always gives positive results.
The use of an orthosis is prescribed for the following pathologies and diseases:
- injuries of interphalangeal joints;
- fractures of the bones of the phalanges of the fingers;
- avulsions or ruptures of muscle tendons;
- ligament damage;
- serious bruises and dislocations;
- joint pain;
- arthrosis, rhizarthrosis and arthritis;
- inflammation of tendons and ligaments;
- pathological diseases and conditions;
- recovery period after surgery and injuries.