DIY: 5 steps to perform buddy-taping for a fractured toe

What is a buddy-tape?

In french, a buddy-tape is a “syndactylie”.

The term “syndactylie” can refer to two things:

1. A congenital condition discovered at birth where multiple fingers or toes are fused together.
2. A method of binding two toes together using a bandage or adhesive tape.

In this article, I’ll focus on the second meaning: buddy-tape in english.

Buddy-taping helps stabilize the injured toe by keeping it in place and reducing the risk of excessive movements that could increase pain or worsen the injury.

💡 The term “syndactylie” comes from ancient Greek, where “syn” means “together” and “dactylos” means “finger.” So literally, it means “fingers together.”

When and why buddy-tape for a toe fracture?

The treatment for a toe fracture or sprain varies depending on various factors.

Sometimes, one of the options chosen is buddy-taping rather than wearing a cast or walking boot.

Normally, your doctor who diagnosed the fracture should have indicated whether buddy-taping was recommended in your case.

If you haven’t been advised to buddy-tape, and you’re experiencing significant discomfort due to your toe injury, you can try buddy-taping to see if it provides relief.

Here are three reasons why buddy-taping is often recommended:

1. Pain relief: The toe moves less, so it’s less painful.
2. Facilitating healing and tissue consolidation: By moving less, damaged tissues are more likely to heal and consolidate effectively.
3. Preventing the risk of further injury: A broken or sprained toe is more fragile and prone to reinjury. Limiting its mobility can help prevent this risk.

Guide in 5 steps to make your buddy-tape at home easily

Here’s a step-by-step guide to making buddy-tape with makeshift materials.

1️⃣ Gather the materials you’ll need.

• A pair of scissors
• A roll of adhesive tape or bandage. Or any other similar fabric/bandage. Look around your bathroom closet; there’s often something that will do the trick!
• Some adhesive tape or, alternatively, Scotch tape

2️⃣✂️ Cut a piece of bandage about 15 cm long and 5 cm wide.

If you have 2 fractured or sprained toes, you’ll need to attach them to 1 different toe each, or to the same toe.

You’ll need to cut either 2 pieces of bandage, or 1 longer piece.

3️⃣ Wrap the bandage around your injured toe and an adjacent toe.

Make sure to wrap it tightly enough so that the injured toe is securely held to the other toe. But don’t wrap too tightly to allow proper blood circulation and avoid numbness.

It’s okay if the bandage extends beyond at first.

4️⃣ Cut off any excess bandage.

Otherwise, it might cause discomfort when walking or wearing shoes.

5️⃣ Secure with adhesive tape and make sure it’s held firmly in place.

Alternative: Purchase a reusable buddy-tape splint

Find my DIY method a bit too makeshift for your taste?

I completely understand! There are alternatives, such as mass-produced reusable buddy-tape splints.

You can purchase them at pharmacies, medical equipment retailers, or online (check out this pack of 4 toe buddy-tape splints on Amazon – affiliate link).

This typically costs between 10 and 20 euros. It’s not covered by health insurance, even with a prescription from your physical therapist or doctor.

This type of device is often more practical as it lasts longer. You can keep it on while showering without rendering it unusable afterward, or remove it for the duration of the shower and quickly put it back on afterward.

However, this is still optional, and you can fully recover and heal without buddy-tape, whether homemade or not!

Another option is to seek the assistance of a nurse or physiotherapist to demonstrate how to apply buddy-tape on yourself.

How long should buddy-tape be kept on?

There is no maximum duration to adhere to; if buddy-tape is well tolerated, you can theoretically keep it on for several months if needed.

Some people with toe deformities wear it “for life”.

However, in general, it’s appreciated to go without it when possible!

If your toe is simply sprained or bruised, you can probably do without it after a few days, at most a few weeks.

If it’s fractured, you might keep the buddy-tape on a bit longer: 3 to 6 weeks.

Unless your diagnosing doctor has advised otherwise, you can certainly try removing the buddy-tape after just a few days to see how you feel. If it’s fine, consider removing it completely. If not, put it back on for a few more days.

Some people also prefer to wear buddy-tape, for example, when they’re out of the house but not at home or at night.