4. Deformity
The deformity is presumably to the most apparent symptom of all that indicates there may be a broken toe. When a bone bends outside if its habitual pattern, it will create an obvious disturbance along the surface. Some obvious deformities such as a bone that pierces the skin, indicate an obvious broken bone. Every so often a bone or joint may become dislocated causing a deformity, but it won’t result in broken skin.
When there is a fractured bone, the edges most often no longer line up. This can cause the tissues or skin around the break to look misshapen. Injured toes can make them appear twisted completely in the opposite direction or even folded under an adjacent toe. If the joint is broken, the toe may look like a jumbled knot.
The toe is such a small area that the swelling that accompanies a broken toe may mask the deformity that occurs with a serious break.