What is the cause of a broken toe?

You may break your toe if something drop on it or you accidentally bend it. A hairline crack (stress fracture) may happen to your toe if there is a sudden increase in sports activity such as walking or running.

What are the symptoms of a broken toe?

• A snap or pop sound heard at the time of the injury.
• Intense pain felt when the toe is moved or touched.
• Swelling and bruising to the toe.
• Deformity in the toe. E.g. toe pointing in the wrong direction or twisted out of the normal position. A dislocated toe can also look deformed.
• Any movement to the toe can cause extreme pain.

How is a broken toe diagnosed?

An X-ray is usually recommended to detect whether the toe is broken or dislocated, and if it’s broken, the severity of the crack can be seen in the X-ray.

How is a broken toe treated?

Treatment to a broken toe depends on the severity of the break, the position of the break and which toe. Usually buddy splint is recommended, that is buddy-taped to your uninjured toe next to it. Your injured toe may need to buddy-taped for 2 to 4 weeks for the bone to heal.

In not so common cases, treatments include:

• Using splints to stabilise the toe.
• Surgery, if the break is severe.

If you leave the toe untreated, the fracture may cause chronic pain, limited movement and deformity.