Hand Injury

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Fractures & Dislocations of the Hand & Wrist

Fractures and dislocations of bones in the hands and fingers can be very serious. Bones can break in different ways. They can splinter, shatter, or break in a spiral or straight across the bone. Fractures involving joints may complicate treatment and require special attention. Hand specialists such as the surgeons at Hayes Hand Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee are trained to treat injuries such as fractures and dislocations of hand and fingers as well as congenital problems and diseases such as arthritis, tumors, nerve compression problems and even elbow and shoulder problems.

Symptoms of Hand/Finger Fractures

A fractured finger (phalange) or hand fracture of the long bones (metacarpals) between the wrist and the knuckles can result in soreness, swelling, bruising, stiffness or inability to move the injured finger, and even deformity.

Hand fractures can manifest as a shortened finger, a depressed knuckle, or as one finger crossing over an adjoining one when making a partial fist. In more severe cases, numbness or paralysis can occur below the site of a dislocation. Though uncommon, paralysis results from damage to or pressure on nerves or blood vessels.

Dislocations are caused when a finger is pulled, bent or hit with unusually strong force, causing fingers to become misaligned at the joint.

Causes of Fractures and Dislocations

Fractured fingers usually result from an impact injury such as a fall, a crush injury (i.e., being slammed in a door), being twisted or being jammed from a high force impact as in sports injuries. There’s an increased risk of dislocation and tendon injuries for people who have had previous fractures or dislocations of the fingers or hand.

Treatment for Hand/Finger Fractures

The medical team at Hayes Hand Center will need to examine your fingers or hand to diagnose which bone or bones are fractured, the type of fracture, and the extent of the injury. This may require more than one x-ray. Since most fractures do not require surgery your doctor will align the bones manually. However, treatment will depend upon whether the fracture involves a joint, if it is stable or unstable, and the degree of deformity, if any.

If surgery isn’t indicated, your doctor will either apply a splint or put a cast or fracture-brace on it to hold the bones in place while the fracture heals. A hand cast can extend well up the arm, almost to the elbow. It takes three to six weeks for a fracture to heal, and it must be immobilized during this time. Your doctor might splint or cast adjacent fingers if extra stability is needed.

If joints are involved and they line up easily, a splint may be the only treatment required. If they don’t align well surgery may be needed to align the fingers and joints. Surgical treatment might require wire, pins or screws to hold the fractured pieces in place.

Delaying treatment can result in complications and permanent damage. The sooner you have your injury treated the more complete healing you can expect. New injuries may be affected by previous injuries and affect the outcome of treatment. The hand specialists at Hayes Hand Center are trained to treat these injuries with the best outcome expectations.

If you have a fracture or dislocation of the hand, wrist or finger please contact the Hayes Hand Center in Chattanooga, Tennessee for an evaluation by our experienced hand specialists.