Feet > Broken Toe > Treatments

   Closed Reduction, Immobilization

Treatment Introduction

For the majority of broken toes, your physician can put your bones back in place without surgery using a procedure called closed reduction. If this is the case, your physician will perform a closed reduction as soon as possible after the diagnosis is made. You typically are given a digital anesthetic block to numb your toe. The top of your foot is cleansed with an antiseptic and the skin may be frozen with a spray of ethyl chloride. Your physician injects local anesthetic just above your toe’s joint with your foot. After your toe is numb, a standard reduction technique is to pull outward on the tip of your toe to release the traction holding your toe in the wrong position. Your physician then moves your toe into proper position in its joint with your foot. Your toe should pop into place when it is reduced in the joint. In the rare case when your toe cannot be put back into position by hand, your physician may recommend surgery. If the reduction is successful, you often can receive a splint and go home on the same day the diagnosis is made. Once your broken toe is in place, your physician "buddy tapes" it to an adjacent toe. The healthy toe works as a splint. Gauze or other padding is placed between the broken and healthy toe and the two toes are taped together, usually with half-inch athletic tape. You should receive extra tape, gauze padding, and instructions for changing the tape at home. Your foot is typically put into the type of wide-toed shoe that is goes around a walking cast. The base of the shoe is made of stiff plastic and does not bend. You usually are given crutches so can keep weight off your foot for one or two weeks.

After closed reduction to repair a broken toe, try to rest with your foot elevated above the level of your heart as often as possible for the first week. You may be able to bear weight on your foot and toe, but try to take it easy and avoid long walks and strenuous household chores. Ice your toe for 15 or 20 minutes three or four times a day until the pain decreases. Wrap the ice in a plastic bag so that your toe stays dry. Do not overdo the ice treatments - you typically should not ice your toe more than 20 minutes at a time. Your physician also may prescribe anti-inflammatory medication such as aspirin or ibuprofen to help ease your pain during the first week. It is important to keep the gauze pad between your toes dry. Your physician is likely to walk you through the steps of replacing the gauze pad and tape so you can change it at home if the tape should come loose or get wet. Change the tape and gauze as often as necessary. When you apply the tape, your broken toe should be securely attached to the healthy toe, but the tape should not be so tight that you lose circulation. Position the gauze pad between your toes so that no skin is touching. If your skin moistens and rubs against the other toe, it could become irritated. Continue taping your toes until your pain decreases. Less severe broken toes may only need to be taped for one or two weeks. Wear the stiff-soled shoe given to you by your physician while your toes are taped. You typically are instructed to return to your physician’s office for a check-up after one to weeks. If your toe continues to hurt, your physician may recommend continued taping and rest. In rare cases when your toe remains unstable in the joint - sometimes called a "floppy toe" - you may be a candidate for surgery to stabilize your toe joint. If your pain has decreased, you may be able to return to normal shoe wear. However, you should avoid shoes with a pointed or tight toe box. Wearing slippers or an old sneaker with the toe cut out may minimize pain in your foot.