Broken Finger (Finger Fracture): Symptoms, Diagnosis & Treatment

A broken finger occurs when one or more of the bones in your finger break. Another name for a broken bone is a bone fracture. People often break their fingers due to injury or weakened bones.

Small bones called phalanges make up your finger structure. Each finger contains three phalanges, while the thumb contains two. Any of these bones can break. Breaks can also happen in your knuckles, the joints where your finger bones come together.

You can relieve pain from a finger fracture for a short time with ice and medication. But you鈥檒l need to see a healthcare provider as soon as possible for an X-ray. Depending on the type and severity of the fracture, your provider may suggest a splint to stabilize your finger or surgery to repair the break.

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Broken fingers are common. Finger fractures are the most common sports-related fractures in adults and teenagers in the United States. They sometimes happen along with metacarpal fractures (bones that connect your wrist to your fingers).

Finger fractures often include fractured fingertips and avulsion-type fractures. Avulsion fractures happen when an injury occurs near where a tendon or ligament attaches to the bones in your hand, and the ligament pulls off a fragment of bone.