Broken left pinky

I work as a cna at a nursing home. A resident broke my pinky,I have had arthritis for 15 yrs I am 59 yrs old. I have never taken an aspirin for pain due to arthritis. Well it is 2 mos now, My dr said I can go back to work. My finger is 3x it's normal size. It is painful, and I have pain  in elbow and wrist. He is sending me to a surgeon to discuss surgery. I think my pinky will be healed when the swelling goes down to what it was before my injury. I had a slight protruding knuckle. He said it will be swollen like that for the rest of my life.

[S. Kaul, MD]

Hi there!

Two months is a good amount of time for inflammation due to acute injuries to settle down. If the pain and swelling has continued beyond a few weeks, chronic inflammation due to a potentially different cause may be considered. If a fracture does not heal in the first 4-8 weeks, it is unlikely to heal on its own without an intervention. The prominent knuckle is probably due to small joint arthritis and may not heal completely. You may like to discuss the possibilities and the management options with your doctor.
Hope this was useful.

Take care!