Which toe breaks most often?

Of all toes, the little toe breaks most frequently. Mostly the metatarsophalangeal joint of the little toe is affected by the fracture. The fracture is typically caused by a direct, external violent impact on the little toe.

How can I distinguish a fracture from a sprain?

Sometimes it is not so easy to distinguish a broken little toe from a sprained toe. The symptoms of a sprain are severe pain, a bruise on the toe, and limited mobility of the toe. Normally, the joints of the little toe can still be strained when a sprain occurs, but with severe pain.

If the little toe is broken, the strain on the joints is no longer possible. The toe is significantly restricted in its movement and often shows an obvious malpositioning. Those affected suffer from pain that becomes much worse when the toe is touched and under stress.

At the same time, there is bruising and a severe swelling of the toe. Consequently, a sprain and a break differ in their pain character, possible strain on the toe and in the shape of the little toe. In order to rule out a fracture, an X-ray of the little toe is usually necessary.

How is the fracture of the little toe treated?

If the fracture is a minor fracture in which the toe is not dislocated, conservative treatment is often used. Typically, the affected toe is fixed to the adjacent toe with tape. As a rule, the toe must be taped in children for more than three weeks, in adults for about four to five weeks.If the toe remains malaligned despite conservative therapy, surgery is performed.

Unstable, complicated toe fractures are also treated surgically. Plates, screws and wires are used to correct the defective position. The application of a roof tile bandage or tapes is one possibility of conservative treatment for a fracture of the little toe.

The physician uses an adhesive plaster bandage, which is applied like a roof tile, to fix the fractured little toe to the adjacent toe. Are you more interested in this topic?a forefoot relief shoe is a special shoe that relieves the forefoot while walking. The orthopedic shoe is not generally used for toe fractures. It is suitable for patients with wound healing disorders or complicated forefoot changes that require multiple operations. A forefoot relief shoe may be indicated in cases of non-healing tissue damage to reduce pressure and enable walking.