How to Fix a Broken Toe

[IMSlacker]

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s25/IMSlacker/IMG00117.jpg

now what?

[Dr Steve]

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s25/IMSlacker/IMG00117.jpg

now what?

wow, sure looks like it.

Most authorities will recommend a "buddy splint" for something like this, assuming the toe is straight (i.e., not so broken that it's angulated) and you can bend it. Since the purpose of a splint is just to have something next to the injured part that stabilizes it until it can heal, and since the toe is next to at least two other toes, why not use them as splints?

Here's how to do it:

insert some cotton or gauze between the good toe and the injured one (you pick which "good" toe to use...the longer toe is generally better)...this will keep the tissues from "macerating" (becoming waterlogged from sweat trapped between them) and making things worse. Then tape the two toes together...not too loose, but not so tight as to cut off the circulation either.

http://content.revolutionhealth.com/contentimages/nr55551995.jpg

change the dressing EVERY DAY. Wear hard-soled shoes if you can, to minimize bending.

See your health care provider if the pain remains excruciating, or if the toe is just dangling or cold or anything weird is going on.

good luck and send us before and after pics!


your pal,


steve

[IMSlacker]

Thanks, Dr. Steve.

Fortunately, my toe wasn't broken after all. I guess I just bruised it pretty good. By the next morning, it was feeling much better and after a few days, the bruising disappeared and now it's good as new. Kind of disappointing though, I wanted to try out that "buddy splint".

[PapaBear]

My son broke his toe a few weeks ago. The doctor at Urgent Care told him to go to a drug store for a splint. We tried two major drug store chains and Wal Mart and none of them carried the splints. At the last one, we were helped by an older guy. You could tell he had probably worked in the pharmacy business for years. He said "Unfortunately, we can't stock everything we'd like to". As he said it, he was looking around at all of the rows and rows of non medical bullshit in the store, and you could tell he was annoyed by how little "drug" there is in drug store these days.

He did give us a good explanation on how to splint the toe with popsicle sticks, and that worked quite nicely.

[jauble]

My son broke his toe a few weeks ago. The doctor at Urgent Care told him to go to a drug store for a splint. We tried two major drug store chains and Wal Mart and none of them carried the splints. At the last one, we were helped by an older guy. You could tell he had probably worked in the pharmacy business for years. He said "Unfortunately, we can't stock everything we'd like to". As he said it, he was looking around at all of the rows and rows of non medical bullshit in the store, and you could tell he was annoyed by how little "drug" there is in drug store these days.

He did give us a good explanation on how to splint the toe with popsicle sticks, and that worked quite nicely.

Ive broken many toes back when I used to play soccer. A clean cut of a tounge depressor/popsticle stick and some tape do it up nice. Throw a little gauze on top for extra padding back in the game.

[drusilla]

you're better than me. when one of my athlete's break a toe i usually just say "sorry dude, it's a toe. not much you can do." sometimes i'll use a special kind of tape that just prevents the joint from bending. but it does have to be changed every day.

[Coach]

wow, sure looks like it.

Most authorities will recommend a "buddy splint" for something like this, assuming the toe is straight (i.e., not so broken that it's angulated) and you can bend it. Since the purpose of a splint is just to have something next to the injured part that stabilizes it until it can heal, and since the toe is next to at least two other toes, why not use them as splints?

Here's how to do it:

insert some cotton or gauze between the good toe and the injured one (you pick which "good" toe to use...the longer toe is generally better)...this will keep the tissues from "macerating" (becoming waterlogged from sweat trapped between them) and making things worse. Then tape the two toes together...not too loose, but not so tight as to cut off the circulation either.

http://content.revolutionhealth.com/contentimages/nr55551995.jpg

change the dressing EVERY DAY. Wear hard-soled shoes if you can, to minimize bending.

See your health care provider if the pain remains excruciating, or if the toe is just dangling or cold or anything weird is going on.

good luck and send us before and after pics!


your pal,


steveIn other words an Anatomical Splint?
:smile::smile:

[patsopinion]

really heavy socks and steel toed boots
also allows for very little movement
and makes it so he cant nock it into something, which hurts like a sunnova bitch

[PapaBear]

really heavy socks and steel toed boots
also allows for very little movement
and makes it so he cant nock it into something, which hurts like a sunnova bitch
Steel toed boots is actually how my son broke his pinkie toe. It's a common injury. If you stub your foot wearing steel toed boots, it will break a pinkie toe very easily.

[patsopinion]

Steel toed boots is actually how my son broke his pinkie toe. It's a common injury. If you stub your foot wearing steel toed boots, it will break a pinkie toe very easily.

because of the pictures i was assuming that we were talking mostly about interior toes
have never broken a toe that way

what brand are you buying the kid?

[tanless1]

perhaps you shld begin walking bacwards until injured toe is healed.

[Zitrone]

In my case, it's a confirmed case of non-displaced fracture. I had thought it was a sprain. After rubbing Zambuk for 4 days, the blood clots dispersed very quickly but the swell concentrates on the last toe and I couldn't bend it.

Just visited the doctor today because I read that if a fracture doesn't heal properly, it might develop arthritis. I think it's rhematoid arthritis or colloquially called rheumatism.

To lift up my downed spirit (doctor says no vigorous sports for 6weeks), i decided to make this x-ray the new wallpaper for my notebook.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3300/3194040867_319b4db0ce.jpg

I will try to buddy my fractured last toe with my fourth toe.

Do I use medicine tape or dressing tape to secure the toes ?

PapaBear, if I were to use a popsicle stick, should they be used to sandwich the fractured toe ?:help:

It kind of puzzling. I feel more comfortable walking barefooted than wearing shoes.