What are Fractures of the Metacarpals and Phalanges?
The metacarpals are the five bones in wrist leading to the fingers. The phalanges are your finger bones. Fractures of any one of these bones may cause bleeding into tissues, which causes swelling. If the fracture is closed (not through the skin), elevate the limb and ice the swelling for 10 minutes at a time to avoid tissue damage. There are many types of fractures. Some of them include: • Comminuted fracture: more than two bone fragments at the fracture. • Compound (open) fracture: one end of the broken bone has broken through the skin. • Closed fracture: neither end of the broken bone has pierced the skin. • Compression fracture: the bone has broken from extreme pressure and has been smashed. • Impacted fracture: the ends of the broken bone are driven into each other. • Avulsion fracture: the muscle has pulled a portion of the bone away from where it was originally attached. • Pathological fracture: the bone has been weakened or destroyed by disease so that the already weakened bone
