{"id":1607,"date":"2020-02-20T14:09:32","date_gmt":"2020-02-20T14:09:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/imedicalsociety.org\/?p=1607"},"modified":"2020-02-20T14:09:32","modified_gmt":"2020-02-20T14:09:32","slug":"broken-toe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/imedicalsociety.org\/broken-toe\/","title":{"rendered":"Broken toe: signs, first aid, healing time"},"content":{"rendered":"
Do you have a big blue toe after you hit a ledge with it? Maybe the toe is broken. Symptoms such as swelling and bluish discoloration indicate such a toe fracture – especially if the damaged toe can no longer be moved properly. To learn more about suspicious symptoms and what you can do about a broken toe, click here.<\/p>\n
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Heads up!<\/strong><\/p>\n No matter if the big toe or the little toe is broken – the symptoms are the same. The good thing is that a broken toe shows symptoms that even laymen can easily recognize. For example, a broken toe is indicated by signs such as<\/p>\n If the big toe is broken, the symptoms are the same as for the other toes. However, this is the most problematic form of toe fracture, as the big toe carries the most weight.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n It happened – the toe is broken. What you can do to help yourself or, as a first responder, someone else is<\/p>\n For example, if you accidentally bump against the bedpost or a table leg while walking, or a heavy object falls on your toes, often not only a toe is broken. Sometimes the injury turns out to be worse:<\/p>\n A compartment syndrome is a medical emergency that needs to be operated on as soon as possible!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n If you suspect a broken toe, you should always consult a doctor. The responsible specialist is a doctor for orthopaedics and accident surgery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n In order to clarify whether the toe is broken or sprained, the doctor will first ask you as the first aider or the person affected about the circumstances of the accident and the medical history (anamnesis). Possible questions of the doctor in this conversation could be:<\/p>\n The doctor will then examine the toe. An open fracture is easy to detect: Bone fragments are visible through an open skin area. A closed toe fracture is present if the soft tissue layers above the fracture are not injured. Sometimes the fragments of the broken toe are displaced (dislocated) and\/or bone rubbing is heard when the toe is moved carefully.<\/p>\n An X-ray examination is necessary for a clear diagnosis. Particularly in the case of small fractures, there is often a lack of reliable fracture signs. X-rays of the forefoot are taken in two planes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n Usually a broken toe heals without great difficulty with appropriate treatment. However, in the absence of or inadequate therapy, healing may be delayed. In addition, consequential damage (such as permanent malpositioning) can occur.<\/p>\n A simple toe fracture is usually treated conservatively. The doctor will tape the broken toe: He will apply a plaster bandage – with a tile-like adhesive plaster bandage the broken toe is fixed with a neighbouring healthy toe (buddy taping<\/strong>).<\/p>\n In children, a broken toe usually only needs to be taped for about three weeks. Adults should wear the bandage for four to five weeks until the pain subsides. If the deformity is still maintained, surgery may be necessary.<\/p>\n The affected person may only apply painful pressure to the broken toe. If several toes are injured, the patient receives a plaster shoe (geisha shoe)<\/strong>. The foot can no longer unroll and therefore cannot be fully loaded. Even if the big toe is not displaced, a plaster cast is often applied or special splints are used to ensure immobilization.<\/p>\n In some cases a broken toe may need surgery. This is necessary, for example, in the case of a strongly displaced toe fracture, a toe fracture with joint involvement or an open fracture.<\/p>\n A broken big toe is fixed with screws or plates during a surgical procedure. If the fracture causes a step to form in the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe, this must also be corrected surgically so that the patient can roll the foot without pain again. Fractures of the remaining toes are fixed by the doctor with mini screws or wires.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n In most cases a broken toe can be treated well. The healing time depends, among other things, on the type of fracture (smooth, shattered, etc.). It takes about five to six weeks on average until the bone has healed. The toe can then be fully loaded again and no longer hurts.<\/p>\n When treating a toe fracture surgically, the following applies: As with any operation, there are general risks such as wound healing disorders and infections. Insufficient bone healing is also possible. Such complications can prolong the healing time for a broken toe.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Broken toe: signs, first aid, healing time Do you have a big blue toe after you hit a ledge with it? Maybe the toe is broken. Symptoms such as swelling and bluish discoloration indicate such a toe fracture – especially if the damaged toe can no longer be moved properly. To learn more about suspicious…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1857,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/imedicalsociety.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1607"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/imedicalsociety.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/imedicalsociety.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imedicalsociety.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imedicalsociety.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/imedicalsociety.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imedicalsociety.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/imedicalsociety.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imedicalsociety.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/imedicalsociety.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
Broken toe: How to recognize?<\/h2>\n
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Broken toe: What to do?<\/h2>\n
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Broken toe: risks<\/h2>\n
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Broken toe: When to see a doctor?<\/h2>\n
Broken toe: examinations by a doctor<\/h2>\n
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Broken toe: treatment by the doctor<\/h2>\n
Broken toe: Conservative treatment<\/h3>\n
Broken toe: surgical treatment<\/h3>\n
Broken toe: healing time<\/h2>\n