Broken hand?

Question

My boyfriend likes to hit punching bags without gloves. He recently hurt one of his knuckles doing that. Tonight, after barely punching the punching bag once, his hurt knuckle swole up again. Is it broken?

It's the knuckle of his middle finger...

Answer 1

no, just bruised. Ive been boxing for years, wear gloves or you'll be out for a couple of weeks!

Answer 2

A dr is the best way to find out but if not I've seen a few of theses in the fiels as an EMT.

BOXER'S FRACTURE

A boxer’s fracture is a broken bone (fracture) in the hand near the knuckle of the fifth finger. This injury usually occurs in professional fighters, but it can occur in non-fighters when punching a hard object like a cement wall. With appropriate treatment and normal alignment of the bones, healing can be expected in about 4 to 6 weeks. Occasionally, surgery is necessary to re-align the bones of the hand.

Symptoms
Pain, tenderness, swelling (especially the back of the hand), and later bruising of the hand
Visible deformity if the fracture is complete
Loss of normal prominence of the knuckle at the little finger
Numbness from swelling in the hand, causing pressure on the nerves (uncommon)

Complications
Fracture does not heal (nonunion)
Fracture heals in a bad position, causing twisting of the finger when making a fist. (malunion)
Chronic pain, stiffness, or swelling of the hand
Arrest of normal hand growth in children
Shortening of injured bones
Bony prominence in palm or loss of contour of the knuckles
Persistent pain and weakness when gripping
Arthritic, unstable, or stiff finger joint if the fracture goes into the joint or after repeated injury or delayed treatment
Scarring around the knuckle and limited motion

Treatment
Because the part of the hand where a boxers fracture occurs has a lot of compensatory motion this fracture can heal with good function even if it heals without perfect alignment (position). If xrays reveal that the fractured bones are aligned within an acceptable range, the initial treatment consists of rest, ice, compressive bandage and elevation to reduce swelling and discomfort. Casting, splinting, or bracing may be recommended to provide support to the bone depending on severity and location of the injury. After immobilization, stretching and strengthening of the injured and weakened joint and surrounding muscles is often necessary. Surgical treatment is indicated if there is an unacceptable amount of bone angulation or non union of the bone fragments.

Taping may help avoid further injury when returning to sports. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (such as aspirin and ibuprofen) or other minor pain relievers (such as acetaminophen) are often recommended. Take medication only as directed by your physician. Contact your physician if any bleeding, stomach upset, black tarry stools, or signs of an allergic reaction occur. Pain relievers may be prescribed as necessary by your physician. Use only as directed. Cold is used to relieve pain and reduce inflammation for acute and chronic cases. Cold should be applied for 20 minutes 4 times daily.

Answer 3

It could be. The best way to find out is to go to the doctor and get an x-ray. Until then, elevate and ice his hand to keep the swelling down.

Answer 4

it would be too hard to tell without an x-ray
It could be a lot of other things as well. I would ice it and if it still hurts go get an x-ray

Answer 5

The only way to tell for sure if something is broken or not is with an x-ray. Without an x-ray you can't say for sure if something is broken or not.

Answer 6

Not necessarily. If it continues to keep hurting go get an X-Ray. But I wouldn't just to conclusions.

Answer 7

the only way to tell would be to go to the doctor and get an x ray. good luck to you.

Answer 8

The only way to find out is to go get it xrayed

Answer 9

Go to the doctor.