Broken Finger?!
Question: At school, I was putting my stuff into my locker, talking with the person next to me. I placed my left hand on the locker next to me to stabelize myself, when that person slammed their locker shut, with my left ring finger in the area with the hinges. My finger, up to the first joint from the nail, was stuck in the extremly small opening as I let out a very loud scream. She quickly opened the door and I was able to get my finger out. 10 minutes later, the pain in my finger was unbearable, I felt like I had to throw up, so I got ice. When the ice was on too long, my finger began to sting even more. And about 2 hours later a blue ring formed around my finger, a bruise. My nail has some discoloration underneath it, and I can't move my finger. I've broken my right ring finger before (jammed it while playing flag football, it's been deformed ever since) and wanted to know if I've broken yet another finger. Have I?
Answers: At school, I was putting my stuff into my locker, talking with the person next to me. I placed my left hand on the locker next to me to stabelize myself, when that person slammed their locker shut, with my left ring finger in the area with the hinges. My finger, up to the first joint from the nail, was stuck in the extremly small opening as I let out a very loud scream. She quickly opened the door and I was able to get my finger out. 10 minutes later, the pain in my finger was unbearable, I felt like I had to throw up, so I got ice. When the ice was on too long, my finger began to sting even more. And about 2 hours later a blue ring formed around my finger, a bruise. My nail has some discoloration underneath it, and I can't move my finger. I've broken my right ring finger before (jammed it while playing flag football, it's been deformed ever since) and wanted to know if I've broken yet another finger. Have I?
like everyone said, getting it xrayed will show if it's fractured or not. good thing it isn't in the joint (salter harris injuries) that can cause deformities such as swan-neck deformity and bony mallet fingers. and fortunately it doesn't sound like a tufts fracture (displaced distal phalanx fracture). if it is all broken, you just need to protect it and let it heal by secondary intention. you do not need to "buddy tape" (taping it with anohter finger for support) as this is not proximal enough. they have a "stax splint" that protects that end of the finger as well as alumi-foam splints. also, the discoloration might mean that you crushed your nail bed. not to scare you, and if it happens, don't be scared, but i think your nail will fall off eventually and a new one will grow - assuming that you did crush your nailbed. time will tell if that happens. but don't worry either, because you'll grow a new one. if anything, start with an xray to see if it is at least a break. in the interim, ice it on and off. it hurts because not only the swelling, but there are a lot of nerves in towards the tips of your fingers. to check and see if you're neurovascular intact, press on the tip of your finger (the area that hits the keyboard) and let go after a second or two. by pressing on it, the area turns white and when you let go, you should see it turn back to red in less than 2 seconds. that's your blood flowing back in the finger (your capillary refill). if it doesn't flow back in less than 2, you might have soft tissue structure damage as well. just my thought on this.
The only way to know for sure is to x-ray it. You may have a bone bruise. I would continue to ice it 20min on 20off. Maybe some ibuprofen too. If it is not significantly improved in 48hrs I would get it x-rayed.
If you can't wiggle it at all, then it's probably broken, sorry
The only true way to know is an x-ray, but it sounds like you may have. The only trouble is there is no cast for fingers. Just do what the dr. would have you do
Apply ice for 20 min on 20 min off, do not go over 20 min on at a time.
Tape your finger to the one next to it, this will give it support and protection.