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If you have ever had a dislocated joint, you will understand that it can be extremely painful if not treated correctly. It can jeopardise your mobility since you must rest your joint for weeks. 

A dislocated finger is not only painful but very inconvenient. We use our hands for most tasks, and just one dislocated finger can mean that your whole hand is out of use. 

But how do you know if the finger is just dislocated and not fully broken? 

Well, there are a few telltale signs that you can check for. 

Finger dislocations happen when a finger is bent back too far. It is a fairly common injury. However, if finger dislocations are not treated correctly and promptly, they result in chronic pain, joint stiffness, and poor function. Some untreated dislocations result in permanent deformity.

What Does a Dislocated Finger Mean?

Each of your fingers consists of three joints, and your thumb has two. Fingers move and bend at the joint, so when the joint is hurt, mobility is limited. 

The joint is where the various bones are connected. If the connection between the bones is damaged, the joint is dislocated, it isn’t aligned with the joint. 

The joint that most commonly experiences dislocation is the middle joint of the finger, medically known as the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint.

Symptoms Of A Dislocated Finger

You will easily spot a dislocated finger. It will look crooked and most likely be swollen and bruised. Other symptoms include the following.

• A bone that looks dislodged or sticks out to one side of the finger.
• Slight or extreme swelling and bruising around the joint. The trauma to the joint disrupts the typical joint structure and can lead to fluid shifts that produce swelling.
• Pain around the joint, especially during attempted movement of the finger. 
• Numbness and tingling on the nerves that course across the joints extending to the fingertips. If compressed, you could experience numbness and tingling.

Medical Treatment of a Dislocated Finger

If you have a dislocated finger, you need immediate medical care. Use the iER app to call for help, and our skilled dispatchers will send the appropriate medical care to your exact location. 

You cannot fix this issue at home. On the way to the emergency room, try to keep your hand as still as possible. If you can, wrap your hand in a bandage or cloth and hold your arm against your chest. Hold it as still as possible to avoid any further damage. 

When you get to the emergency room, a doctor will most likely try to realign the dislocated bone. You will be administered a local anaesthetic injection. This is an injection directly into your finger. The injection decreases the pain of the dislocation and stops you from feeling the procedure. You may also receive oral medication and an IV drip to help the pain and reduce the swelling. Then, your doctor will push the bones back into alignment.

Your injured finger will then be put into a bandage for protection while it heals. It will be “buddy taped” to the unaffected finger next to it, says Web MD.

In buddy-taping, a finger that requires immobilization (e.g., because of an injury or deformity) is attached to an adjacent, unaffected finger. This helps provide alignment as well as support and protection, explains MSD Manuals. 

A second x-ray will be done to confirm the realignment. The doctor must be sure that they have set the bones correctly and that there were no further injuries during the procedure. 

It’s important to avoid popping a dislocated finger back into the joint yourself. Popping it back in without medical supervision can injure underlying structures like:

• Tendons,
• Blood vessels,
• Ligaments, and
• Nerves.

Types of Dislocations

There are different types of dislocations of the hand. They are called dorsal, lateral, and volar dislocations. Your doctor can determine the type of dislocation by the direction of joint movements. This knowledge allows them to apply the right direction of pressure during the relocation of the joint. 

• A dorsal dislocation occurs when the joint is dislocated toward the back of the hand.
• A lateral dislocation is a result of a finger being dislocated sideways.
• A volar dislocation happens when the joint is pulled too far forward or toward the palm. This is the rarest and usually means the finger was rotated while doing so. 

 

Remember, it’s imperative to seek treatment if your finger is dislocated. Use the free iER app to call for help.