If you recently injured your finger and are wondering if it is broken, the best thing to do is get an x-ray to find out. You can get x-rays in your physician’s office, urgent care, or local emergency room. Many breaks or fractures in the fingers can be misdiagnosed as “just a sprain” or a “jammed finger.” If a finger fracture is not treated appropriately, the long-term results may not be good. Arthritis, finger stiffness, pain, and grip weakness are all possible complications from improper treatment of finger fractures.  I have heard from many patients “I could still move it, so I didn’t think it was broken.” In many cases, a fracture causes the finger to be stiff and difficult to move; however, this is not true in all cases. When in doubt, get it checked out.

The signs of a broken finger are:

  • Pain
  • Swelling
  • Bruising
  • Stiffness
  • Numbness
  • Pain with range of motion
  • Deformity
  • Skin lacerations

Ask a Doctor: Broken Finger