Can you fracture a knuckle

If you do tear a meniscus, you might be tempted to "walk it off. A lateral pelvic tilt is when one hip is higher than the other. Learn about five exercises that can help with this condition. Enthesopathy refers to pain and inflammation around your joints. This includes your wrists, knees, and ankles.

Here's how to recognize and treat it. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Bruised Knuckles. Medically reviewed by William Morrison, M. What are the symptoms? What are the causes? How to treat bruised knuckles. When to see a doctor. Read this next. It can be hard to tell if a finger is broken, dislocated or badly sprained. You'll probably need an X-ray. They can tell you the right place to get help if you need to see someone. Go to Urgent treatment centres are places you can go if you need to see someone now.

Find an urgent treatment centre. Punching a wall or a door is the most common cause of a broken knuckle. Accidental falls are another common cause. Among athletes, a fractured knuckle could be the result of direct impact with another player, a playing surface, or a ball, stick, or bat.

Your doctor may ask you about the injury and symptoms. They will conduct a physical examination of the affected hand and fingers. This will likely include checking your tendons and joints.

Wounds and cuts around the knuckle can indicate that something is stuck in your hand. They can also indicate an open fracture, in which the bone has broken through the skin. If your doctor has reason to believe that one or more or your knuckles is fractured, they will order X-rays. Your doctor will use several X-rays taken from different angles to make a thorough check for the fracture. Sometimes, additional X-rays or other imaging tests are used to provide more details about the injury.

In the short-term, broken knuckle treatment focuses on alleviating pain and swelling. The long-term goal of treatment for a broken knuckle is to keep the bone aligned while it heals.

However, it depends on the type, location, and severity of the break. In the immediate aftermath of a knuckle injury, apply a cold pack to the affected area to minimize pain and swelling. Keeping your hand still and in an elevated position can also help. Immobilization is a technique that involves keeping the broken knuckle in place so that it can heal.

This can be done by taping two fingers together, a technique known as buddy taping. The splint or cast may be applied to the finger, hand, or entire wrist area. Your doctor will let you know how long you need to wear the tape, splint, or cast. It may be several weeks to a month. Your doctor might suggest over-the-counter medication to target pain caused by a broken knuckle.

Grip something. A broken knuckle will drastically reduce your finger strength. Your brain can shut down the muscles around a severe injury to prevent further damage. If you suspect you might have a fracture though, take it easy. Gripping something too hard could cause the fracture to become more severe. Try out your wrist. Your knuckle is at the top of your metacarpal bone. The bottom of your metacarpal bone is connected to your carpus or wrist bone.

Move your wrist from side to side and up and down. If you feel a sharp pain shoot through your hand, you most likely have a severe broken knuckle. Seek treatment. If you suspect that your knuckle is broken, then see a doctor or visit an emergency room as soon as possible to get treated. You will probably have to wear a splint or brace for a few weeks until the knuckle heals.

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. To keep your knuckle in place, you should splint it to another finger. Helpful 1 Not Helpful 0.

Go to a doctor as soon as you can if you think your knuckle is broken. A doctor will be able to take an x-ray to confirm your suspicions. Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0. Never try to work through a broken knuckle, you could turn a minor fracture into a severe break. Helpful 38 Not Helpful If you have a severe break that needs to be placed in a cast, it can take four to six weeks to heal.

Be prepared to miss some work if your job requires you to use your hands. Helpful 3 Not Helpful 0. Sometimes broken knuckles do require surgery. If surgery is required the knuckle may take even longer to heal.

Helpful 2 Not Helpful 0. Avoid punching solid objects to prevent breaking your knuckles. If you spar or do martial arts, wear gear to protect your hands. Helpful 2 Not Helpful 1. Related wikiHows How to. How to.

More References 4. About This Article. Medically reviewed by:. Jonas DeMuro, MD. Co-authors: Updated: July 16, Categories: Bone Fractures Finger Health.