Description A fracture is a bro...
Description
A fracture is a broken bone. The toes are commonly fractured. In most cases the fracture of a toe bone can be treated just by putting a splint on it. If the broken bone punctures the skin (open fracture) antibiotics will be needed to prevent an infection of the bone (osteomyelitis). If after the fracture the pieces of the bone do not come together properly, the bones will be put back in place and splinted. Severe fractures may have an associated tendon, nerve or blood vessel injury.
Symptoms
Pain, swelling, bruising of the skin, a crooked toe, pain with movement, numbness of the toe.
Tests
Common tests used for diagnosis and treatment
Workup:
A history and physical will be done. An x-ray will confirm the diagnosis.
Specialists:
Internal Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, Pediatrics, Family Practice, Podiatry, Foot and Ankle Surgery, Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery
Workup:
A history and physical will be done. An x-ray will confirm the diagnosis.
Specialists:
Internal Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery, Pediatrics, Family Practice, Podiatry, Foot and Ankle Surgery, Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery
Treatment
Most fractures can be treated by splinting the toe. The common technique for splinting is to "buddy tape" the broken toe to the healthy toe that is next to it. Splinting keeps the broken edges of the bone from moving very much and this helps the bone to heal. Badly fractured toes may need surgery to repair the bones or damaged tendons, nerves or blood vessels. OTC pain medications such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or naproxen (Naprosyn, Aleve) can be used. Narcotic pain medications may be prescribed as well including: hydrocodone and acetaminophen (Vicodin, Lortab), tramadol and acetaminophen (Ultram), or oxycodone and acetaminophen (Endocet, Percocet). If the bone punctures the skin the injury will need to be cleaned very well and antibiotics may be given to prevent an infection.