What Is A Tuft Fracture Of A Finger?

A tuft fracture of the finger is when a part of the bone is crushed. It is usually caused by something hitting part of the finger at a strong impact, such as the head of a hammer. It is known as an open fracture because it is towards the top of the finger and is surrounded by soft tissue as well as the nail bed.

• What is a finger fracture?

A finger can be fractured in a number of places and the degree of pain can differ depending on the location of the bone that has been fractured. It is very painful when this happens because the bones are very sensitive and rather minute. It is imperative that you go to see a doctor when this happens because if you leave it to heal on its own, you could cause excessive damage and even long term damage if you don't have it treated properly.

• What treatment do you need?

When it comes to a finger fracture you will need to see a doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will carry out an X-Ray and determine how serious the problem is and how it should be treated. In most cases surgery will not be required to treat the fracture. Generally the bone will be pushed back and then held in place with a splint so the alignment goes back to normal after time. In the majority of cases the splint will be removed after three weeks; however it all depends on the individual fracture. The decision will be made from the doctor who treats the patient. Only the most serious of cases will need surgery, so it is unlikely that this will be carried out, but again it depends on the individual injury.

Fracture of the distal phalanx (last little bone on end of finger)

A tuft fracture is a fracture that have different pattern and it usually appears in the pulp of finger. Normally this is caused due to crush injury and appears on your skin and does not show any bone fracture.