A cleaved toe, also known as a toe fracture, is a very common injury, especially in athletes and those with active lifestyles. Out of the five toes (also known as digits of the anxiety) the pinky toe is the most commonly broken toe with the fracture often occurring at the base of the toe.

Your toes make upwardly a portion of your foot referred to every bit the forefoot. Four of your toes are comprised of 3 bones called phalanges, and ii joints. The big toe, notwithstanding, is made up of only two bones and one joint.

The three smaller bones, or phalanges, of the toes are the:

  • Proximal – bone closest to the foot
  • Middle
  • Distal – the stop of the toe

The large toe only has the proximal and distal phalanx bones.

Types of toe fractures

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In that location are several ways to categorize your toe fractures:

  • Stress fracture – acquired past repetitive activeness / overuse
  • Not-displaced – bones are cracked but accept not cleaved apart
  • Displaced – ends of the cleaved toe have separated completely or partially from the rest of the bone
  • Open up fractures – skin is broken and the bone is protruding
  • Closed fracture – skin is not broken and the bone is contained
  • Avulsion fracture – pocket-sized fleck fracture nigh commonly caused by tendon pulling off bone

With the numerous small bones, joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your toes it can exist hard to place what type of injury you are suffering from. That is why it'southward and then important to see one of our podiatrists as before long as possible, so we tin chop-chop identify your injury and forbid it from worsening.

What Causes a Broken Toe

Some of the about mutual causes of cleaved toes include:

  • Overuse
  • Stubbing or banging your toe against something hard
  • Rolling your toe
  • Dropping a hard and/or heavy object on your toe
  • Wearing poor footwear
  • Osteoporosis

How to Tell if a Toe is Cleaved: Symptoms & Identification

Broken toes are some of the nigh mutual breaks of the foot and are frequently marked past symptoms similar:

  • Severe bruising
  • Intense & throbbing pain
  • Swelling
  • Deformity
  • Difficulty walking
  • Toenail discoloration
  • Crooked & misshapen appearance of the toe

Big Toe

Broken toes often occur in athletes and those maintaining active lifestyles; cleaved large toes (or "dandy toes") are particularly common for these individuals. These breaks are frequently referred to every bit "turf toe." Turf toe is caused past excessive and repetitive pushing off of the big toe when making explosive movements (e.yard. running & jumping), and can vary from a sprain to a cleaved bone with ligament impairment. If you're experiencing severe hurting from your big toe after athletic or strenuous activity you may need to be examined for a break.

Broken Toe Myths & Misconceptions

Although broken toes are well known, the handling of them seems to exist overcast with many unknowns and falsehoods. Here are the common responses you should exist skeptical of side by side fourth dimension someone tries to give yous "advice" for your cleaved toe:

Should I come across a dr. for a broken toe?

"At that place'due south nada a doctor tin do for a broken toe." – False. This is non only untrue, but tin be harmful. If a fractured toe is not treated promptly and correctly, serious complications may develop!

Tin can you move a broken toe?

"If you can still motility it and so information technology'south not broken." – Imitation. This is another harmful old wives' tale. Although it may be possible to move and walk on your broken toe, y'all should avoid doing and then as this can lead to even greater damage and prolonged healing time.

Should yous soak a cleaved toe?

"Any toe injury should be soaked in hot water or with Epsom salts immediately!" – False. If you suspect your toe (or any os) is cleaved, hot water or any heat applied to the area tin can make information technology worse! Rut causes an increase in blood flow, which leads to more swelling and more hurting. Instead, use an water ice pack for a maximum of 15-twenty minutes to aid numb your toe and decrease swelling. However, it's of import to not overdo it as likewise much ice may cause frostbite.

What to Do for a Broken Toe: Care & Handling

Cleaved toes don't usually require x-rays as both broken and badly bruised/injured toes are oft treated with the aforementioned methods.

Broken and injured toes are oft treated through:

  • Ice
  • Remainder
  • Splinting, known as "buddy taping," where the broken toe is taped alongside a neighboring healthy toe
  • Casting, if the toe has become dislocated
  • Wearing podiatrist-provided stiff-soled shoes to back up the fracture
  • Hurting & anti-inflammatory medication

Fractures of the big, or bang-up, toe are often more severe than breaks to the others. If the joint is disrupted or the bones have become dislocated, the toe may crave surgery.

Improper or Delayed Treatment

If your toe fracture is non properly handled, or treatment is delayed you may experience a wide range of consequences and side effects, including:

  • Movement limiting deformity & long-term dysfunction
  • Development of arthritis around the fracture
  • Not-healing & worsening of the fracture
  • Development of chronic pain
  • Compound fractures & infection
  • Difficulty wearing shoes

Early test and treatment of any fracture is essential for proper healing. At Advanced Foot & Ankle our podiatrists have extensive grooming and feel in the non-surgical and surgical treatments of any foot, talocrural joint, or toe fracture.

In one case we place a fracture, we develop a treatment specifically for your injury striving to correct your injury non-surgically and only suggesting surgery when information technology's absolutely necessary.

If you're experiencing whatsoever foot, toe or talocrural joint pain contact us today, and schedule an appointment at one of our conveniently located Eye Tennessee locations.