[3] There may be bruising, swelling, stiffness, or displacement of the broken bone ends from their normal position.

[3][4] More rarely, over-extending a toe joint can break off a portion of the bone, and stress fractures are possible,[3] especially just after a sudden increase in activity.

[4] As activity is slowly increased to normal levels, the toe may be a bit sore and stiff.

[4] In high-force crushing and shearing injuries, especially those with open wounds, blood circulation (tested by capillary refill) can be impaired, which needs urgent professional treatment.

[1] The AO Foundation/Orthopaedic Trauma Association (AO/OTA) classification generates numeric codes for describing broken toes.

[10] So, for instance, 88.1.2.1 means a fracture to the big toe's innermost bone, at the proximal end.

[7] Malunion, healing with the bones out-of-place, can cause long-term pain and significant disability.

[4] When a toe is broken by crushing, there is often also a subungual hematoma (bleeding/bruising of the nail bed, under the toenail).

[3] Degenerative arthritis of the distal (outer) big toe joint can occur as a complication of fractures, especially fractures to the proximal (inner) end and diaphysis (midsection) of the proximal bone.

[10] If the proximal phalanx of the big toe is broken, hallux valgus (bunion) is a frequent complication.

[10] In high-force crushing and shearing injuries, especially those with open wounds, blood circulation can be impaired.

[3][4] More rarely, over-extending a toe joint can break off a portion of the bone, and stress fractures are possible,[3] especially just after a sudden increase in activity.

[1][13] An open wound toe fracture may result from an injury from a lawn mower.

Relaxation, elevation, icing, lubrication (e.g. soapy water or oil), and rotating the ring as if unscrewing it may help.

[18] If the fracture displaces the bones from their proper position (which it often doesn't), it needs to be reduced.

Reduction puts the toe back into alignment, with all parts of the bones in the correct anatomical position.

If there are multiple displaced bone fragments, shuffling them back into the correct positions may be more complicated.

The fracture will usually stay in the correct position once re-aligned; if not, it needs more specialized treatment to hold the parts in place so that it heals straight.

[3] Fractures of the smaller toes are commonly treated by buddy taping (see image).

[16] Somewhat more serious fractures which affect a joint, but with less than 2mm displacement and less than 25% of the area of the joint surface on the broken part, are generally also be treated with buddy taping and suitable shoes; the evidence on this treatment is not extensive.

[8] Fractures with displacement at the break, including rotation, can often be reduced (re-aligned) by a family doctor.

Some broken toes may need to be put in casts, especially if the fracture is unstable (it won't stay reduced on its own).

[3][4] If more than 25% of the area of the joint surface was on the broken-loose part, or the break had to be reduced, follow-up X-rays are done 7–10 days afterwards.

[8] Activities which cause pain should be avoided, and resumed slowly as the toe heals.

[21] Due to pneumatic bones in birds, washing an open toe fracture may be harmful.