Definition
A toe fracture, also called toe fracture, describes the fracture of a big or small toe bone on the foot, usually caused by a traumatic accident mechanism. In the case of external force, this is referred to as an impact trauma. This can occur, for example, when a person collides with a hard object or a heavy object falling on the foot.
Toe fractures can also occur during sporting activities. Overall, men are more frequently affected by this clinical picture than women. Due to the tendons attaching to the toe bones, malpositioning of the toes often occurs in the context of a toe fracture, as these tendons exert tension on the broken toe bone. Therapy is usually conservative, such as the application of a bandage or an insole, but surgery is rarely performed.
Causes
In most cases the toe fracture is caused by trauma. This can happen, for example, when the foot hits a hard object or a sharp edge. A typical example of this is overlooking a table or chair leg.
Another cause can be a falling object if the foot is not pulled back fast enough. However, accidents and especially sports accidents also frequently result in toe fractures. A typical sport for this is soccer.
Symptoms
The toe fracture can affect one or more toes, accordingly the severity of the symptoms can vary. The big toe consists of two, the other four toes of three bones each. Instead of bones, one often speaks of so-called limbs.
The broken toe is most often located at the metatarsal. The first thing that the affected person feels is a very strong pain in the area of the injured toe, followed by swelling and possibly a bluish discoloration due to a bruise. In addition, the attaching tendons can lead to a malpositioning of the toe and to the affected foot being spared due to the pain and the restriction of movement.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is usually made clinically in the patient interview and during the clinical examination. It is noticeable that the site of the injury is usually swollen and painful under pressure, often there is also bruising and malpositioning. In addition, the mobility of the toes is restricted.
In order to finally confirm the diagnosis and to be able to describe the fracture gap in detail, an X-ray of the forefoot is then taken. This is of great importance for further therapy planning. A possible differential diagnosis to toe fracture is toe dislocation, in which the bones dislocate from the joint. This can be treated relatively easily by manual reduction.
