The fingers are anatomically very easy to injure structures of our body. Finger fractures are one of the most common traumatic events in the emergency room. To understand finger fractures, it helps to understand the basic anatomy of the hand.
The hand is divided into three parts: Wrist, palm, and fingers. The fingers are most commonly affected in hand injuries. Each of them consists of three bone parts: Phalanx proximalis, media and distalis.
Only the thumb has only two phalanges. All these bones can be affected in the context of a finger fracture. The structures are connected by ligaments and a multi-layered musculature.
Despite these protective structures, fractures of the fingers occur repeatedly in Germany. In finger fractures, a distinction is made between proximal (the bone behind the metacarpophalangeal joint), medial (middle phalanges) and distal (the bone under the nail) finger fractures. The distal fracture is a more common sports injury and accounts for almost half of all hand fractures. The middle finger is usually affected, and the causes are often traumatic movements such as twisting or overextension and bruising. Fractures in the phalanx are permanently exposed to the forces of the many muscles of the hand and are therefore very susceptible to twisting or shortening and can protrude at unphysiological angles.
Causes of finger fracture
The causes of fracture of a phalanx are extremely variable. Many everyday movements demand the activity of our fingers. Injuries to the phalanges are usually caused by sports activities, work or traffic accidents or other traumatic events. The reason for breaking a phalanx can be excessive stretching, twisting, squeezing or a direct blow to the finger.
Diagnosis
As a rule, if a fracture of a phalanx is suspected, an X-ray is taken to confirm the diagnosis if necessary. The X-ray image allows the type of fracture to be identified and the therapy to be tailored to the individual case. Since there are different types of fractures, all of which are associated with different treatment options, an exact diagnosis by the treating physician is absolutely necessary in the case of a finger fracture.
Since the bones of the fingers are relatively small, it may be that several x-rays have to be taken to determine exactly whether a fracture exists and if so, which one. In order to make a comparison, it may also be necessary to x-ray the hand that is not affected. Computed tomography (CT) is usually only performed in the case of very complex bone fractures.
With the help of computed tomography, it is possible to assess fractures that cannot be reliably diagnosed in an X-ray. A disadvantage of this technique that should not be underestimated is the significantly higher radiation exposure for the person being examined. With the help of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; nuclear spin tomography), it is possible to diagnose bone fractures that are not visible in a regular X-ray image. This technique is also useful for assessing neighboring blood vessels and cartilage structures, which is also not possible in an X-ray image. If the diagnosis of a finger fracture is not made by the diagnostic method, it may also be a bruise of the finger.