How do you know if yu broke your thumb? i was playing softball and i swug at a high inside pitch. the ball hit my thumb really hard considering my hands were throwing the bat at the ball. it was bleeding really bad too. it also cracked my nail. i can't gr

A : A medical evaluation done by a hand surgeon with a xray will help you know the correct diagnosis. I can recommend several doctors in louisville, where i did my training as well. Go to either norton or jewish hospital. Both places have a great team of hand surgeons.

It : It sounds like you could have a fracture but the only way to tell for certain ( unless you see bone sticking out) is to get an xray. Commonly fractures of the distal phalanx can lead to bleeding under the nail or be accompanied by a broken nail. Certainly by the mechanism of your injury and the description of your injury you should get some xrays done to assess this most fractures of the distal phalanx heal uneventfully but you can't know if you have an intrarticular fracture ( in the joint) , a fracture associated with a tendon injury ( such as a mallet finger), an open fracture ( where the cracked nail is actually a wound that lead to the bone and can get infected) or any other combination of these just by looking at it. So do yourself a favor and get seen , at least by some medical provider but best to see a hand surgeon or an orthopedic or plastic surgeon who take care of these injuries. If not go to your own pcp or a local urgent care or emergency center.