Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
A fractured (broken)metacarpalis a common injury of the hand. A metacarpal fracture affects one or more of the five metacarpal bones that run from the wrist (carpal) bones to the knuckles.An impact injury, such as a fall or blow to the hand, is usually the cause of a metacarpal fracture.
Metacarpal fractures can take more than a month to heal. Treatment for metacarpal fractures usually includes not moving the finger while it heals, pain relief, and rehabilitation. In severe cases, surgery might be needed.
The article looks at the symptoms and causes of metacarpal fractures and explains how these common fractures are diagnosed and treated.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Metacarpal Fracture Symptoms
There is a metacarpal bone in each of your fingers and any of them can get broken. The symptoms of a fractured metacarpal will only be in the injured finger and can include:
The Metacarpal Bones 1-5There are five metacarpal bones on each hand:Metacarpal bone 1 (connected to the thumb)Metacarpal bone 2 (connected to the index finger)Metacarpal bone 3 (connected to the middle finger)Metacarpal bone 4 (connected to the ring finger)Metacarpal bone 5 (connected to pinky)
The Metacarpal Bones 1-5
There are five metacarpal bones on each hand:Metacarpal bone 1 (connected to the thumb)Metacarpal bone 2 (connected to the index finger)Metacarpal bone 3 (connected to the middle finger)Metacarpal bone 4 (connected to the ring finger)Metacarpal bone 5 (connected to pinky)
There are five metacarpal bones on each hand:
Signs of a Bone Fracture
Causes of Metacarpal Fracture
Common causes of a metacarpal fracture include:
The location of the fracture will help your provider figure out what the best treatment for the injury will be.AnX-rayis usually used to diagnose a fracture and see what kind it is, as well as how bad the break is.
There are also general types of fractures that can affect the fingers, including:
These breaks can be compound, stress, oravulsionfractures.
Fractured Metacarpal Treatment
Metacarpal fractures almost always need to be put in asplintor acast(immobilization). Not moving your finger can last anywhere from three to six weeks, depending on the severity of the break and how it’s healing.
A metacarpal fracture can be very painful. Your provider might tell you to try these remedies at home to manage the discomfort while you’re healing:
Rehabilitation
After you’ve healed enough, a rehabilitation plan with aphysical therapistmight be recommended for a metacarpal fracture.
Doing this therapy can help prevent complications like “wear-and-tear” arthritis (osteoarthritis), nerve or blood vessel damage, permanent stiffness, pain, or loss of hand mobility.
Surgery
There are a few situations where surgery is recommended for a metacarpal fracture:
If surgery is needed, a surgeon may fix the broken bone with pins, plates, or screws. In severe cases, such as crush injuries,external fixationis needed. In this surgery, external hardware is attached to the bone fragments to hold them in place.
Summary
A broken finger bone or metacarpal fracture is a common but painful injury. There are different types of fractures that can affect the fingers, and different bones in the fingers can be broken.
You’ll need to see a provider to get diagnosed with a metacarpal fracture. The treatment you’ll need will depend on the break but often requires not moving your hand until the fracture heals. In some cases, you might need surgery.
How to Treat a Broken Hand
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kollitz KM, Hammert WC, Vedder NB, Huang JI.Metacarpal fractures: treatment and complications.Hand (NY).2014 Mar;9(1):16–23. doi:10.1007/s11552-013-9562-1American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Hand fractures.American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Fractures (broken bones).Chea AEJ, Yao J.Hand fractures: indications, the tried and true and new innovations.J Hand Surg Am.2016 Jun;41(6):712-22. doi:10.1016/j.jhsa.2016.03.007Bible JE, Mir HR.External fixation: principles and applications.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2015;23(11):683-90. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-14-00281Additional ReadingArthritis Foundation.Hand and wrist anatomy.Henry M.Fractures of the proximal phalanx and metacarpals in the hand: Preferred methods of stabilization.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2008;16(10):586-595. doi:10.5435/00124635-200810000-00004
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Kollitz KM, Hammert WC, Vedder NB, Huang JI.Metacarpal fractures: treatment and complications.Hand (NY).2014 Mar;9(1):16–23. doi:10.1007/s11552-013-9562-1American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Hand fractures.American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Fractures (broken bones).Chea AEJ, Yao J.Hand fractures: indications, the tried and true and new innovations.J Hand Surg Am.2016 Jun;41(6):712-22. doi:10.1016/j.jhsa.2016.03.007Bible JE, Mir HR.External fixation: principles and applications.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2015;23(11):683-90. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-14-00281Additional ReadingArthritis Foundation.Hand and wrist anatomy.Henry M.Fractures of the proximal phalanx and metacarpals in the hand: Preferred methods of stabilization.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2008;16(10):586-595. doi:10.5435/00124635-200810000-00004
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Kollitz KM, Hammert WC, Vedder NB, Huang JI.Metacarpal fractures: treatment and complications.Hand (NY).2014 Mar;9(1):16–23. doi:10.1007/s11552-013-9562-1American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Hand fractures.American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Fractures (broken bones).Chea AEJ, Yao J.Hand fractures: indications, the tried and true and new innovations.J Hand Surg Am.2016 Jun;41(6):712-22. doi:10.1016/j.jhsa.2016.03.007Bible JE, Mir HR.External fixation: principles and applications.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2015;23(11):683-90. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-14-00281
Kollitz KM, Hammert WC, Vedder NB, Huang JI.Metacarpal fractures: treatment and complications.Hand (NY).2014 Mar;9(1):16–23. doi:10.1007/s11552-013-9562-1
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Hand fractures.
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.Fractures (broken bones).
Chea AEJ, Yao J.Hand fractures: indications, the tried and true and new innovations.J Hand Surg Am.2016 Jun;41(6):712-22. doi:10.1016/j.jhsa.2016.03.007
Bible JE, Mir HR.External fixation: principles and applications.J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2015;23(11):683-90. doi:10.5435/JAAOS-D-14-00281
Arthritis Foundation.Hand and wrist anatomy.Henry M.Fractures of the proximal phalanx and metacarpals in the hand: Preferred methods of stabilization.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2008;16(10):586-595. doi:10.5435/00124635-200810000-00004
Arthritis Foundation.Hand and wrist anatomy.
Henry M.Fractures of the proximal phalanx and metacarpals in the hand: Preferred methods of stabilization.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. 2008;16(10):586-595. doi:10.5435/00124635-200810000-00004
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