Dislocation of the finger joint: symptoms, signs, treatment

Finger dislocation is a condition characterized by displacement of the phalanges of the fingers and loss of congruence between them. In this case, the asymmetry of the articular structures is clearly noticeable. Knuckle dislocations are more common on the hands than on the feet. This is due to the anatomical features of the structure of the phalanges of the fingers of the upper extremities.

During an injury, the ligaments that hold the bones and muscles are damaged, the joint capsule is also injured and the joint changes its shape. In the practice of modern traumatologists, dislocation of the thumb joint is more common. His bones are more prone to displacement and damage.

The little finger has weak muscles and ligaments, which explains its frequent injury during accidental falls and fights. The simultaneous dislocation of several fingers at once is not excluded, which significantly complicates immobilization and further treatment. In patients with weak ligaments or age-related changes, a finger can be dislocated even with a firm handshake.

Dislocated fingers are an indication for seeking help from a traumatologist. Make an appointment with a specialist as early as possible, since the main method of treating a dislocation is to realign the articular structures that are displaced relative to each other. Only a qualified doctor can carry out such a procedure, always in a medical institution.

At the CONSTANTA Clinic in Yaroslavl you can make an appointment with a traumatologist at any time. The doctor will conduct an examination, order an X-ray examination and provide all necessary medical care. As a rule, treatment for a dislocated finger is carried out on an outpatient basis, but in compliance with all medical recommendations and prescriptions.

What is a dislocated finger?

The hand is one of the most vulnerable parts of the musculoskeletal system in terms of injury. Each of the five fingers is three joints, or two if we are talking about the thumb, and each of the joints is at risk of dislocation in the event of not even too strong, but simply an unfortunate mechanical impact.

As a rule, a dislocated finger consists of the fact that the finger or one or two of its phalanges are displaced relative to each other, and the articulation of the articular surfaces is disrupted. The joint loses its functionality, the damage is accompanied by quite acute pain, which is also due to the high concentration of nerve endings on the fingers.

A dislocated finger joint may be accompanied by a pinched or ruptured tendon, as well as a rupture of the joint capsule, which can significantly complicate the situation.

Complications and consequences

If the index finger is dislocated, the finger becomes deformed and severe pain and swelling occur. If you do not start proper therapy, the risk of complications increases significantly. Open injuries are especially dangerous when the wound can become infected, including the life-threatening tetanus bacillus.

You may encounter the following possible complications:

loss of continence function;
regular aching pain, aching joints;
joint inflammation and arthrosis;
joint stiffness;
tendon weakness;
modification of the shape of the finger.

With proper treatment of a dislocated finger, the prognosis is positive. Recovery from a dislocated finger occurs within a month. If unpleasant sensations appear, then it is worth visiting a specialist.

The main reasons leading to finger dislocations

The causes of dislocated fingers are mainly traumatic. Falling with emphasis on the hand, unsuccessfully hitting the ball or awkward movement on sports equipment, trying to lift too much weight and it slipping, contact sports become the most common causes of such an injury. In addition, it is necessary to take into account the possible predisposition that can be caused by deforming diseases of the joints, previous injuries, even the habit of clicking the joints, pulling or pressing the fingers.

Therapeutic exercises after dislocation

Many people wonder what to do if their thumb is dislocated. Doctors advise starting therapeutic exercises, which will help restore joint mobility. A set of useful exercises must be performed three times a day. Each exercise is duplicated 10 times.

Exercise therapy includes the following:

Rub your hands together to begin to feel the warmth.
Fold the straightened fingers into a shoulder blade and make rotational movements in the hands.
Place your upper limbs on a table or other horizontal surface, palms down. Unfold your hands without lifting them from the table, raising your palms up and returning them to their previous position.
Place your hands again on a horizontal surface, performing rotational movements with your hands, without lifting them from the table.

In addition to basic exercises, it is very important to do activities that help develop fine motor skills. This:

folding construction sets or puzzles;
typing on a PC keyboard;
collect scattered matches or grains on a flat surface;
sewing, knitting, appliqué;
play keyboard instruments;
train your arm with an expander.

Also, for complicated subluxations of the thumb, it is necessary to add a number of therapeutic exercises:

Clench your hand into a fist and try to light an invisible lighter.
Clench your hand in a fist so that your thumb is in it. Palm side facing up.
Completely relax the limb and try to reach the tip of the thumb with each finger.
Place your hands on a flat horizontal surface, palms down. Gather your fingers in such a way as if you need to salt something. Then return your fingers to their previous position.

The exercise therapy course is indicated for:

improving blood flow in the diseased area;
resumption of muscle activity;
adjustments to joint mobility;
improvement of general condition;
development of ligament flexibility.

An individual set of exercises is often selected for each patient.

First aid for a dislocated finger

If there are rings on the knocked-out finger, or at least on this hand, you should try to carefully remove them as quickly as possible. Dislocation very often leads to swelling, in which any compression is dangerous.
Apply ice and try to keep your hand elevated. This will help reduce swelling, one of the most unpleasant consequences of a sprain. The more successfully you manage to prevent swelling in the first minutes and hours, the faster the hand will restore its functionality.
If it is possible to press the healthy finger against the damaged one, it is useful to apply a bandage that secures them together.
If the pain is severe, you can take an analgesic.
It is imperative to seek medical help - to a traumatologist or surgeon, where a diagnosis will be made to rule out other injuries, the finger will be professionally reset, and treatment will be prescribed.

Treatment

Treatment of wrist injury involves a set of measures to restore the natural position of the bones.

Treatment steps include:

Reduction of hand bones using local anesthesia or general anesthesia
Immobilization with application of a plaster cast to ensure immobility and rest of the injured arm (applied for 2-3 weeks)
If the median nerve is pinched, surgical intervention is possible
If necessary, the patient is prescribed painkillers

How is a broken finger diagnosed?

Despite the apparent obviousness, only a qualified medical professional can confidently diagnose a dislocated finger joint, and he also makes decisions about treatment. This is due to the fact that swelling and severe pain can accompany not only a dislocation, but also cracks and fractures of bones. And in this case, completely different help will be required.

To rule out a fracture, the doctor may order an x-ray, but often gets by with a routine examination and questioning of the patient.

There are also fracture-dislocations. This is a more severe injury and requires exclusively surgical treatment, otherwise the damaged joint will subsequently be functionally limited, and constant pain may occur. If this injury is ignored, arthrodesis (locking) or joint replacement will eventually be required.

Symptoms of injury

A person who has received such an injury faces, first of all, obvious deformation of the metacarpophalangeal joint

and almost complete inability to move this part of the hand. During passive movements, the thumb springs elastically.

In addition to these visually detectable abnormalities, the victim complains of severe pain in the damaged area. The joint usually greatly increases in size, and the skin may be hotter and swollen than the surrounding tissue.

Treatment and rehabilitation for a dislocated finger

The complexity and duration of treatment depends on three factors:

severity of damage,
correctly provided first aid to avoid worsening the situation,
timeliness of seeking medical help.

In any case, the dislocated finger is reduced, if necessary, with local anesthesia, since the procedure can be quite painful.

The hand is fixed in a comfortable position, then the doctor pulls and simultaneously sets the finger.

The reduced finger is fixed with a plaster cast or a special orthosis, ensuring immobility. This will avoid unnecessary pain from accidental displacements and will speed up the normalization of the damaged joint.

After reduction/surgical intervention and application of a bandage, the following may be prescribed to speed up rehabilitation:

local agents (ointments) with anti-edematous, anti-inflammatory, analgesic effects;
physiotherapeutic procedures;
massotherapy;
a special set of exercises for the injured hand - after the swelling has completely subsided and the pain has stopped.

All this will allow you to completely restore the functions of the hand, restoring its functionality and health, and avoid the future development of “habitual dislocation” or other complications.

Important: seek help in a timely manner. There are often cases when the pain during a dislocation weakens after some time and goes away without help. But the dislocation itself will go away on its own, but realigning the phalanx will be more difficult. Sometimes soft tissues are pinched between the articular surfaces; increased swelling and unoperated ligament ruptures can cause limited movement and subsequently contracture. Sometimes a late-reduced dislocation becomes habitual, that is, recurring due to the fact that the damaged ligaments have not fully recovered.

Why is it so important to treat sprains right away?

Many patients do not understand why it is necessary to treat a dislocated finger by a traumatologist immediately after the injury? If the joint is not adjusted in time, it will remain deformed. As a result, the functional ability of the finger will be impaired and you will not be able to produce the range of movements to which you are accustomed.

Old dislocations that occurred more than 2-4 weeks ago are not subject to classical treatment. The head of the joint moves relative to the glenoid cavity and pinches the soft tissue. Therefore, such a displaced joint can only be realigned through surgery.

If a dislocated finger occurs as a result of a fall or blow, then soft tissue is often damaged and without qualified treatment the risk of wound infection increases sharply. With properly selected therapeutic measures, the patient quickly recovers: pain disappears, swelling decreases, and the range of physical activity gradually expands. Restoration of lost hand functions continues for several months. At this time, specialists prescribe local painkillers that suppress pain and relieve signs of inflammation and swelling from damaged tissues.

Reduction of dislocated fingers

If the dislocation is complicated by damage to the ligaments or joint capsule, surgery may be required.

As mentioned above, if a dislocation is accompanied by a fracture, surgery is necessary. During surgery, the fracture is fixed with knitting needles or screws or a miniplate.

A distraction device may be required to correct an old dislocation.

Extensor tendons

To the list of articles

Metacarpal fracture

Preventive measures

To avoid wondering how to know if you have a sprained finger and how to solve this problem, it is very important to simply adhere to preventive measures. The basic rules for preventing a dislocated finger in a child or adult are:

compliance with safety rules;
proper nutrition;
giving up bad habits;
mandatory warm-up before training.

It is very important to see a doctor immediately after an injury. This will reduce the risk of progression of relapses, complications, and will also help to carry out competent therapy.

A sprained finger is a painful injury that causes discomfort. If the problem is not treated in a timely manner, a number of complications can occur. Knowing how to identify a dislocated finger, you need to urgently consult a doctor. Only an experienced specialist will be able to make an accurate diagnosis,, if necessary, carry out additional diagnostic procedures and prescribe a competent treatment regimen.

Classification

At the moment of traumatic impact, depending on the direction of the damaging force, the bones of the phalanges can shift in different directions. Taking this factor into account, the following types of dislocations are distinguished:

side;
rear;
palmar.

Most often, dorsal displacement is diagnosed when the finger turns in the direction opposite to the physiological possibility of movement. In addition, in the complete absence of contact between the heads of the bones, which is accompanied by movement beyond the limits of the joint capsule, they speak of complete dislocation. If the shift is small and the displacement is partial, incomplete dislocation is diagnosed.

Dislocations of the proximal phalanges

Dislocation of the little, ring, middle and index fingers in the area of the proximal phalanges often occurs towards the back of the hand. At the same time, it is extremely difficult to move them - an attempt to move is met with springy resistance. When palpating the palm, the top of the metacarpal bone is felt, and on the back side the articular surface of the phalanx is felt.

If soft tissues get caught between the articular surfaces and are pinched, the dislocation is called irreducible.

How to make an appointment with a pediatric traumatologist

Our clinic employs qualified doctors who have extensive experience in diagnosing and treating dislocations. Experts will tell you how to significantly reduce risks and protect your child from injury. Modern equipment for diagnosing and treating various types of injuries is available to patients. To make an appointment with a specialist, you can use any convenient method:

by phone;
on the clinic website by filling out a special online form.

Also on the website you can find out the cost of the services provided, see a list of available equipment, and choose which doctor you want to undergo treatment with. Contact us, we will always help you and your children!

Relevance

The development of dislocated fingers is one of the most common problems in traumatology practice. This condition occurs in people of all ages. There is no predilection for a particular gender; the injury occurs equally in men and women.

Not only everyday physical activity, but also various physical exercises can lead to the development of such a condition. Despite the absence of a direct threat to life, the patient’s general well-being and quality of life deteriorate significantly, as the symptoms are pronounced. Most often, dislocation of the thumb or little finger is noted. This is due to the peculiarities of the anatomical structure of the joints, muscles and ligaments.

The mechanism for dislocating a finger on the hand, as in other joints, is the development of excess force or pressure. This impact should be several times greater than the reserve capabilities of the muscles and ligamentous apparatus, which ensure the retention of bone particles in the appropriate anatomical position.

This condition develops as a result of excessive blows to the hand, falling heavy objects, as well as excessive compression during handshakes. A combination of several factors that lead to injury to several fingers at once is acceptable.

Injury results in acute symptoms. Often the patient can accurately note the time when the finger was dislocated and the conditions under which the injury occurred. The intensity largely depends on the level of joint displacement. The main symptom of a dislocated finger is severe pain. It prevents the patient from concentrating, causing panic and anxiety. Increased intensity develops when attempting to make movements or palpate the lesion.

On the skin, one can note the development of hyperemia with a local increase in temperature. The intensity of edema increases gradually. Immediately after injury and immediate treatment, swelling may be barely noticeable. If the injury was sustained several hours later, the swelling is pronounced, which makes diagnosis difficult.

Motor activity in the joint is difficult or may be completely absent when the finger does not bend. Without therapy, hand movements may become difficult. Above the damaged area, the palm is paler and cold to the touch.

The finger has a changed shape. There is a pathological deviation from the average physiological axis. The length increases or shortens compared to a healthy hand, this is especially noticeable when the little finger, index finger or thumb are damaged. Damage to the middle finger is more difficult to diagnose.