Why buddy tape

Developed by VMD Services. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Buddy Taping Injured Toes. The patient remains unconscious for the next 7 hours. Based on these findings, which of the following is the most likely diagnosis? More Content. Click here for Patient Education. Absolute contraindications.

Unstable or displaced phalangeal fracture. Skin breakdown due to lack of padding between fingers. Cotton or gauze for padding. Dislocations should be reduced. Consider a digital block before splinting if manipulation or reduction is required. Apply tape around both fingers to bind the injured finger against the uninjured finger. Depending on the thickness of the tape, one or two layers may be applied.

While it may remain on several days following an injury, all finger injuries should be assessed by a hand specialist. While taping digits together have become common practice, particularly in sports, some research suggests a potential for complications warranting concern and caution among those performing buddy taping to treat finger and toe injuries.

The authors of a recent study reported frequently seen complications such as necrosis of the skin, infections, loss of fixation and limited joint motion. Finger injuries can be severe enough to require surgery or stitches.

However, mild injuries to the fingers can be easily treated at home. If there is a cut or other type of open wound, determine if the injury needs stitches. If you believe it does, seek help from a doctor. If there isn't an open wound, look to see if the finger is deformed. Again, if the finger is obviously deformed twisted in an incorrect direction or grotesquely swollen, for example then you should go to the emergency department. If only the tip of an injured finger will not straighten all the way, see a doctor.

Finger injuries with no obvious deformity can usually be safely treated at home. To avoid aggravating the injury, immobilize it by buddy taping. To properly buddy tape a finger, it's best if you have medical cloth tape.

Cloth tape is woven in such a way that it can be easily torn along either axis—across or lengthwise. You can use scissors to cut the tape to just the right length if you need to. The width of the tape makes a difference in comfort and functionality. You can create whatever width tape you need by starting a small tear at the end of the tape.

Once you've done that, the tape will continue to come off the roll in whatever width you created. Cut or tear each piece of tape just long enough to encircle the injured finger and the one next to it. Each finger not the thumb has three joints—the places where the fingers bend—including the knuckle.

Place one piece of tape between the first and second joints and another between the second and third see the image above. The pieces of tape need to be as wide as possible, but still be narrow enough not to cover the joints. And they should not be so tight that they make the fingers swell, turn colors, or lose feeling get numb. The wider the tape, the more comfortable the fingers will be. Buddy taping helps the injured finger stay in place and only flex or extend.

The injured finger won't be able to twist or move laterally, but it can still be used to grip.