What is it called when you don't have a knuckle?

Is this a Dislocated knuckle?

• Last night i punched a tree very hard. Don't ask why. I felt no pain and my hand blew up like a balloon, turned very discoloured and deformed and felt very weird. My friend took me into his house and sat some ice on it for like half an hour. They called an ambulance. Yeah, over the top i know but they were certain i had popped a knuckle out as it looked very deformed at the time. The ambulance didnt come because they said it was only for car crashes, fires etc, and to see how it is in the morning and go to minor injuries. It looked straight away like it was dislocated. It swelled ALOT and was cut on top, turned a bluish and red colour and very soft, cushiony and painful to touch, however i felt no pain whatsoever despite punching a large tree full on as hard as i could. I cant feel my knuckle, just a twinging in my wrist and pins and needles in my fingers. I can move my hand but it is uncomfortable and very stiff and heavy. I can't move my hand around the area of my knuckle or clench my fist. It is easier not to move my hand at all. The two knuckles on my hand are very soft but i dont dare push down on them as it hurts alot. Overnight, the swelling has gone down dramatically. It is still swelled up but nowhere near as bad. It still doesnt look right though and i have pins and needles and an achingwrist but i cant feel anything to do with my knuckle which is really weird. My hand is all bruised and graised and swelled up, still with a bluish and red colour. My mum says it may have looked disfigured because of the swelling but last night you could see my knuckle was out of place. Now it doesnt look as bad though and you cant really see because of the swelling but it doesnt really look out of place anymore, just swelled and slightly deformed. Should i go to the hospital and get it checked out, or is it just bruising?

• Answer:

  Hi: By what you are describing it would be important to discard a "Boxers fracture" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxer's_fracture), you are talking about pain in the knuckle but you havent said which one it is. This fracture is very common after a "bad punch" mechanism but the only way to confirm the diagnosis is with a physical exam by a doctor and an X-Ray, good luck.