Except for fractures involving tendon avulsion from the base of the distal phalanx, phalangeal fractures are generally classified by both exact and interpretive description.

• Exact descriptions include mention of the
• bone (thumb, index, middle, ring, small; proximal, middle, distal phalanx),
• location (head, neck, shaft, base, condyle, tuft, epiphysis),
• pattern (transverse, oblique, spiral, unicondylar, comminuted),
• displacement (nondisplaced, minimally displaced, impacted, displaced), and
• soft tissue status (open, closed).
• Interpretive descriptions include mention of the
• energy of injury (high-energy, low energy) and the
• stability of the fracture complex (stable, unstable).