Types of Injuries

• Cuts and Scratches: Superficial cuts (scratches) only extend partially through the skin and rarely become infected.  Deep cuts (lacerations) go through the skin (dermis).
• Abrasions or Scrapes: An area of superficial skin has been scraped off. Commonly occurs on the knuckles.
• Bruises: Bruises (contusions) result from a direct blow or a crushing injury; there is bleeding into the skin from damaged blood vessels without an overlying cut or abrasion.
• Fractures (broken bones)
• Dislocations (bone out of joint)
• Jammed Finger: The end of a straightened finger or thumb receives a blow (usually from a ball). The ligaments and tendons of the finger are stretched and torn.
• Crushed Fingertip: This injury most often results from getting the finger smashed in a car door or from a heavy object falling on the finger (a hammer!). Usually the fingertip receives a few cuts, a blood blister or a bruise. Sometimes the nail is damaged. A fracture of the bone inside the fingertip can occasionally occur.
• Subungual Hematoma (blood under the fingernail): This medical term is applied when a blood clot forms under the fingernail. It is caused by a crush injury to the fingertip. Some subungual hematomas are only mildly painful and blood is typically under less than 50% of nailbed. Others can be severely painful and throbbing, and these may need the pressure released to relieve the pain. The pressure can be released by putting a small hole through the nail.  With larger subungual hematomas, the fingernail will usually fall off. A new nail will grow back in 6 to 12 weeks.
• Torn Nail: From catching it on something.