Buddy wrapping, also called neighbour strapping or buddy taping, is the act of bandaging a damaged or particularly a fractured finger or toe together with a healthy, uninjured one. The

bandage A bandage is a piece of material used either to support a medical device such as a dressing or splint, or on its own to provide support for the movement of a part of the body. When used with a dressing, the dressing is applied directly on ...

or medical tape is usually stiff, not allowing the digits to move; the healthy digit acts as a splint, keeping the damaged one in a natural position for healing. Rest plays a major role in the healing process. Buddy wrapping may also be used for

sprain A sprain is a soft tissue injury of the ligaments within a joint, often caused by a sudden movement abruptly forcing the joint to exceed its functional range of motion. Ligaments are tough, inelastic fibers made of collagen that connect two or ...

dislocations In materials science, a dislocation or Taylor's dislocation is a linear crystallographic defect or irregularity within a crystal structure that contains an abrupt change in the arrangement of atoms. The movement of dislocations allow atoms to sli ...

, and other injuries. This treatment may be performed by a

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

or other

medical professional A health professional, healthcare professional (HCP), or healthcare worker (sometimes abbreviated as HCW) is a provider of health care treatment and advice based on formal training and experience. The field includes those who work as a Nursing, nur ...

in a

hospital A hospital is a healthcare institution providing patient treatment with specialized Medical Science, health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically ...

orthopedic Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternative spelling orthopaedics) is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

clinic, or other medical facility. Buddy wrapping may also be used when medical help is not immediately available, for example in the wilderness. Buddy wrapping can be a temporary solution or it can be used as a treatment all by itself. A layer of absorbent cotton or

gauze Gauze is a thin, translucent Textile, fabric with a wikt:loose, loose open Weaving, weave. In technical terms, "gauze" is a weave structure in which the weft yarns are arranged in pairs and are crossed before and after each Warp (weaving), w ...

is placed between the digits to prevent the breakdown of the skin with resultant

ulcers An ulcer is a discontinuity or break in a bodily membrane that impedes normal function of the affected organ. According to Robbins's pathology, "ulcer is the breach of the continuity of skin, epithelium or mucous membrane caused by sloughing ...

and/or infection. The bandage is applied loosely, in several non-encircling layers. This avoids cutting off the blood flow to the digit that a too-tight wrap can precipitate. If the damaged part is only partly fractured, e.g., a

greenstick fracture A greenstick fracture is a partial bone break that typically occurs in children due to their more flexible and resilient bone composition. This fracture pattern is characterized by a break on one side of the bone while the other side remains inta ...

, the buddy wrapping method may also be used. Fractures of the smaller toes are commonly treated by buddy taping. Padding is used between the toes to keep the space dry and the toes aligned comfortably. If the toes are less comfortable when buddy-taped, the buddy tape should be removed.

References

Emergency medicine Sports medicine Orthopedic surgical procedures {{Treatment-stub

See also

References